Transposed from an older blog
Just about made it along to the tail end of the Kyoto picket. Every Monday the Campaign against Climate Change mounts a vigil outside the US embassey, for there sabotage of the Kyoto Protocol.
Last year some naughty pixies, subvertised lots of Icelandic posters on the underground. Apparently they disagreed with all these healthy tourism ads for a country that has just resumed commercial whaling. The ads apparently looked better, with new slogos' such as 'Only in Iceland can you eat a tourist attraction'. Questions were asked in the Icealndic paliment. It's amazing how much influence 2-3 committed people can have.
Anyway whatever plans those pixies may have had, have got lost in this daft feud with Essex.
Further to Saturdays rant it appears the world is a much more spiteful place. For some time, some of us have noticed that there are communication problems between the Greenpeace office, and the local networks. So we tend to be more self reliant, networking between ourselves, rather than expecting the office to sort everything out. To that end we have been meeting regularily, and have built up a good working relationship. Or at least I thought we had.
So when a difference of opinion occurs the sensible thing would be for the two people disagreeing to sort it out. Or at least talk to each other about it. Not for one of them to phone everyone else, bitching about it, and how they've been stitched up, before evening speaking to the other party. The wierd thing is noone else cares, everyone else wants to just get on with the real problem of getting out there and dealing with the worlds problems.
When will this bollocks end?
Monday, 31 January 2005
Saturday, 29 January 2005
Airport Pledge leads to all out war
Transposed from an older blog
Now I’m not sure I should be writing about this, as it’s a tale of bitchyness and woe. But to give a true insight into local groups, networks, and Greenpeace I guess it’s worth covering the bad stuff.
This is of course my version of events, I’m sure other people have there own views, which are no less valid, except of course I’m right and they’re wrong. So there.
To date 3 of us had decided to start up a new Group meeting in Stratford. I had discussed the idea with the old Area Networker for NE London, and he may have suggested Stratford as the place. Then in January I had had a long conversation with the new Area Networker, and she seemed pretty cool with the idea. Before the Esso picket I had emailed the Area Networker’s for Essex and SE London to see what they thought. At the Esso picket itself we had long conversations between the 3 ‘East Londoners’, the Area Networker for Essex, the group contact for Havering (part of the Essex Network) and the Area Networker for NE London.
Everyone happy, everyone consulted, new group in East London, lots more people going to get involved, more stuff going to happen, world now saved. Wrong.
Friday before last I had been in the office, and rather than get IT to create a new home page for the new group, we luckily discovered that the home page for the old East London network still existed, so we just reactivated that and I edited it back into shape, cross linking it with the Essex network as well as London NE and London SE.
That way everyone is encouraged to check out what’s going on all over East London, and neighbouring areas, good idea eh? Unfortunately not.
So Saturday I didn’t have any plans, and I knew the Essex network were looking to expand there activities into Hertfordshire at Bishops Stortford. Last year they had expanded into Kent, and had set up 3 new groups there. The Essex networker was also looking for a climate campaign to support and Bishops Stortford was a good place to try and get people to sign the airport pledge.
So we’re all mates, and I thought I’d come along and help them out. Didn’t have much else to do, even if Bishops Stortford was a bit of a pain to get to from Hackney, especially if I go a stupid way, via bus to Liverpool Street.
Several hours of campaigning in the rain later, lots of pledge cards signed, campaign event considered a success, so we hit the pub. Couple of pints later, need to have a quick word with Essex networker to see how things are going. Then I get my head ripped off.
Wow! Don’t like getting abused, and especially not after a couple of pints, but hey the charm of NVDA training is you learn to keep your mouth shut, smile and nod.
His complaints seem to revolve around a conversation he’d had in the office, not with me, although I am apparently to blame. He’d been told that there was a new East London network and I was the new Area Networker. First thing I’d heard about my promotion. OK as a collective of people who were going to meet in Stratford, maybe one day we would be a network, but not yet and the idea seems a bit premature. Equally there is nothing wrong with the idea.
But as the Networker for Essex his view was that there isn’t room in East London for another Network, and that if there is going to be another group then it shouldn’t be called East London, as that confuses the issue with Havering (a London borough, part of the Essex network)
OK I’m confused now. What business of Essex is it, what happens in London? If Havering wants to be the East London Network then that’s cool, then they can call themselves that, but you can’t be part of the Essex network and the East London Network. OK you probably can, but they didn’t want to be. And more specifically you can’t forbid another group to call itself East London, if you don’t want to call yourself East London. Arrgghhh, and what difference does it make.
If there is a webpage called East London, then more people are going to get in touch, more people are going to get involved, and more stuff it going to happen. Still can’t see what’s wrong with that.
What’s especially frustrating is that as a volunteer, I have spent my time over days and weeks keeping Essex in the loop regarding what’s going on in London. I have built bridges and set up meetings to get everyone’s input into what’s going on. In the absence of any Greenpeace activity in East London I have published leaflets, emailed 1000’s and edited web pages to push anyone in East London towards Havering to help build there group. And now I get all this grief, because the office doesn’t consider them part of London, because they don’t get enough respect for what they do, and they don’t get to veto every decision in London, beyond there existing empire in Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent. And they still want to be part of the Essex network, not a London network, I mean what on earth…
Well bollocks to that.
More pythonesque, in fighting to follow.
Now I’m not sure I should be writing about this, as it’s a tale of bitchyness and woe. But to give a true insight into local groups, networks, and Greenpeace I guess it’s worth covering the bad stuff.
This is of course my version of events, I’m sure other people have there own views, which are no less valid, except of course I’m right and they’re wrong. So there.
To date 3 of us had decided to start up a new Group meeting in Stratford. I had discussed the idea with the old Area Networker for NE London, and he may have suggested Stratford as the place. Then in January I had had a long conversation with the new Area Networker, and she seemed pretty cool with the idea. Before the Esso picket I had emailed the Area Networker’s for Essex and SE London to see what they thought. At the Esso picket itself we had long conversations between the 3 ‘East Londoners’, the Area Networker for Essex, the group contact for Havering (part of the Essex Network) and the Area Networker for NE London.
Everyone happy, everyone consulted, new group in East London, lots more people going to get involved, more stuff going to happen, world now saved. Wrong.
Friday before last I had been in the office, and rather than get IT to create a new home page for the new group, we luckily discovered that the home page for the old East London network still existed, so we just reactivated that and I edited it back into shape, cross linking it with the Essex network as well as London NE and London SE.
That way everyone is encouraged to check out what’s going on all over East London, and neighbouring areas, good idea eh? Unfortunately not.
So Saturday I didn’t have any plans, and I knew the Essex network were looking to expand there activities into Hertfordshire at Bishops Stortford. Last year they had expanded into Kent, and had set up 3 new groups there. The Essex networker was also looking for a climate campaign to support and Bishops Stortford was a good place to try and get people to sign the airport pledge.
So we’re all mates, and I thought I’d come along and help them out. Didn’t have much else to do, even if Bishops Stortford was a bit of a pain to get to from Hackney, especially if I go a stupid way, via bus to Liverpool Street.
Several hours of campaigning in the rain later, lots of pledge cards signed, campaign event considered a success, so we hit the pub. Couple of pints later, need to have a quick word with Essex networker to see how things are going. Then I get my head ripped off.
Wow! Don’t like getting abused, and especially not after a couple of pints, but hey the charm of NVDA training is you learn to keep your mouth shut, smile and nod.
His complaints seem to revolve around a conversation he’d had in the office, not with me, although I am apparently to blame. He’d been told that there was a new East London network and I was the new Area Networker. First thing I’d heard about my promotion. OK as a collective of people who were going to meet in Stratford, maybe one day we would be a network, but not yet and the idea seems a bit premature. Equally there is nothing wrong with the idea.
But as the Networker for Essex his view was that there isn’t room in East London for another Network, and that if there is going to be another group then it shouldn’t be called East London, as that confuses the issue with Havering (a London borough, part of the Essex network)
OK I’m confused now. What business of Essex is it, what happens in London? If Havering wants to be the East London Network then that’s cool, then they can call themselves that, but you can’t be part of the Essex network and the East London Network. OK you probably can, but they didn’t want to be. And more specifically you can’t forbid another group to call itself East London, if you don’t want to call yourself East London. Arrgghhh, and what difference does it make.
If there is a webpage called East London, then more people are going to get in touch, more people are going to get involved, and more stuff it going to happen. Still can’t see what’s wrong with that.
What’s especially frustrating is that as a volunteer, I have spent my time over days and weeks keeping Essex in the loop regarding what’s going on in London. I have built bridges and set up meetings to get everyone’s input into what’s going on. In the absence of any Greenpeace activity in East London I have published leaflets, emailed 1000’s and edited web pages to push anyone in East London towards Havering to help build there group. And now I get all this grief, because the office doesn’t consider them part of London, because they don’t get enough respect for what they do, and they don’t get to veto every decision in London, beyond there existing empire in Hertfordshire, Essex and Kent. And they still want to be part of the Essex network, not a London network, I mean what on earth…
Well bollocks to that.
More pythonesque, in fighting to follow.
Friday, 28 January 2005
Volunteering in Office
Transposed from an older blog
Finally get to find out what needs doing, for the 4x4 polling day, lots and lots, and so jump in and start making stuff happen.
Not sure why we've left it so late, but we've got 3 weeks to recruit people, so no time to worry about why?
Finally get to find out what needs doing, for the 4x4 polling day, lots and lots, and so jump in and start making stuff happen.
Not sure why we've left it so late, but we've got 3 weeks to recruit people, so no time to worry about why?
Thursday, 27 January 2005
Spotting Sneaky People
Transposed from an older blog
More sneaking around looking at things, hoping to spot something bad, so we can do something about it.
More than that a gathering of sneaky people, to review what we've been up to, and to discuss where to go. Course everyone forgot, and only 2 of us made it, but 2's better than none.
More sneaking around looking at things, hoping to spot something bad, so we can do something about it.
More than that a gathering of sneaky people, to review what we've been up to, and to discuss where to go. Course everyone forgot, and only 2 of us made it, but 2's better than none.
Friday, 21 January 2005
Gone but not forgotten
Transposed from an older blog
Day volunteering in the office, and sorting out what makes SW London tick, to hand over to the new area networker.
As a network we have always been focused around an email discussion list, and its evolved into quite a complicated setup. I'm not sure if that's a reflection of my innner confusion, or the best way of using the resource.
But it makes it difficult for someone else to take over, so wish her ever success.
Day volunteering in the office, and sorting out what makes SW London tick, to hand over to the new area networker.
As a network we have always been focused around an email discussion list, and its evolved into quite a complicated setup. I'm not sure if that's a reflection of my innner confusion, or the best way of using the resource.
But it makes it difficult for someone else to take over, so wish her ever success.
Tuesday, 18 January 2005
Say Hello to Friends of the Earth
Transposed from an older blog
Back in Lambeth where I used to live, FoE were pretty inactive. OK lots inactive, but I thought I'd check out the local Hackney group.
And I was pretty impressed, 8 people at a meeting, solid, a bit of a talk on recycling, a certain amount of dynamism and plans to sort a campaigning event.
All very inspiring, perhaps I should explore more what FoE is up to
Back in Lambeth where I used to live, FoE were pretty inactive. OK lots inactive, but I thought I'd check out the local Hackney group.
And I was pretty impressed, 8 people at a meeting, solid, a bit of a talk on recycling, a certain amount of dynamism and plans to sort a campaigning event.
All very inspiring, perhaps I should explore more what FoE is up to
Monday, 17 January 2005
Network Brainstorm
Transposed from an older blog
Way back when, well Febuary 2004 I started volunteering in the Active Supporters Unit at Greenpeace. One of the first things I pulled together was a meeting between key people in London to try and organise a big event where all the local groups took to the streets at the same time.
The meeting was a bit wet, and we all got depressed by the fact there only seemed to be 30 people in all of London willing to volunteer to do stuff with Greenpeace.
Then we went to the pub. Oh the pub, beer is the root of all inspiration.
So, hic, 30 people, hic say we get 32, that could be 16 teams of 2, hic yes I'll have another Guinness, if each team did two events one in the morning and one in the afternoon, hic, thats 32 events, or one in every London Borough, that's be cool.
So we did it, and it worked. OK we recruited lots of new people to come help, but we hosted 30+ campaigning events all round London, collecting loads of nasty GM Milk, swapping it for lovely organic milk FoC. The nasty GM milk got delivered back to Sainsbury's HQ in a big direct action, but that's a different story.
So we had some more Network meetings, which got bigger until last October it turned into an unproductive waste of time.
So this time we had uber facist facilitaion by Richard. We'd identified different reasons to get together, but this meeting was to come up with ideas for how London networks could work together.
You weren't even suppossed to come unless you had a kick arse idea, but then everybody was invited.
So one of the most productive meeting to date, lots of cool ideas, putting the Climate Summit back, but unleashing the idea of Urban 4x4 polls, which turned into a great success
Way back when, well Febuary 2004 I started volunteering in the Active Supporters Unit at Greenpeace. One of the first things I pulled together was a meeting between key people in London to try and organise a big event where all the local groups took to the streets at the same time.
The meeting was a bit wet, and we all got depressed by the fact there only seemed to be 30 people in all of London willing to volunteer to do stuff with Greenpeace.
Then we went to the pub. Oh the pub, beer is the root of all inspiration.
So, hic, 30 people, hic say we get 32, that could be 16 teams of 2, hic yes I'll have another Guinness, if each team did two events one in the morning and one in the afternoon, hic, thats 32 events, or one in every London Borough, that's be cool.
So we did it, and it worked. OK we recruited lots of new people to come help, but we hosted 30+ campaigning events all round London, collecting loads of nasty GM Milk, swapping it for lovely organic milk FoC. The nasty GM milk got delivered back to Sainsbury's HQ in a big direct action, but that's a different story.
So we had some more Network meetings, which got bigger until last October it turned into an unproductive waste of time.
So this time we had uber facist facilitaion by Richard. We'd identified different reasons to get together, but this meeting was to come up with ideas for how London networks could work together.
You weren't even suppossed to come unless you had a kick arse idea, but then everybody was invited.
So one of the most productive meeting to date, lots of cool ideas, putting the Climate Summit back, but unleashing the idea of Urban 4x4 polls, which turned into a great success
Saturday, 15 January 2005
Stratford Stop Esso
Transposed from an older blog
Moved into new house last night, out picketing Esso station today. Folk from Essex and Islington had pulled the evnt together, but I had been thinking for some time about starting up a local group for East London.
There had been an East London network, up until summer 2003 but the Area Networker Robin, got a job at Greenpeace on the climate team, and the network slowly shrunk without him.
So I was thinking Stratford would be the perfect place to meet, and then we could campaign accross East London. The idea would be to do something as ourselves each month, and something in conjunction with one of the three neighbouring groups each month. i.e. Islington, Greenwich & Havering.
So an Esso picket in Stratford seemed the perfect place to launch a new group. Especially as 2 other people from East London were going to be there.
So 3 hours of picketing later we headed to the pub to sort out details. arrgghhh I'd say the devil was always in the details, but it turns out the details are the work of the devil. It took another 2 hours to sort out a meeting date, mainly because folk from Essex didn't want the date to clash with any of there, very variable meetings or with Islington meetings.
Finally got sorted by getting Havering to meet on a regular date, i.e the first Wednesday of the month. Then we get to meet on the second Wednesday and everyone gets to be happy for now.
For Shaun's write up of the day see here
Moved into new house last night, out picketing Esso station today. Folk from Essex and Islington had pulled the evnt together, but I had been thinking for some time about starting up a local group for East London.
There had been an East London network, up until summer 2003 but the Area Networker Robin, got a job at Greenpeace on the climate team, and the network slowly shrunk without him.
So I was thinking Stratford would be the perfect place to meet, and then we could campaign accross East London. The idea would be to do something as ourselves each month, and something in conjunction with one of the three neighbouring groups each month. i.e. Islington, Greenwich & Havering.
So an Esso picket in Stratford seemed the perfect place to launch a new group. Especially as 2 other people from East London were going to be there.
So 3 hours of picketing later we headed to the pub to sort out details. arrgghhh I'd say the devil was always in the details, but it turns out the details are the work of the devil. It took another 2 hours to sort out a meeting date, mainly because folk from Essex didn't want the date to clash with any of there, very variable meetings or with Islington meetings.
Finally got sorted by getting Havering to meet on a regular date, i.e the first Wednesday of the month. Then we get to meet on the second Wednesday and everyone gets to be happy for now.
For Shaun's write up of the day see here
Friday, 14 January 2005
Christmas is finally over
Transposed from an older blog
The last 3 months have been dead busy at work, it being Christmas and the games industry. Unfortunately the muppets I work for, had lost a key member of staff through what can only be gross stupidity and so I have been stuck working 6 days a week.
So I've been going into the office in the early morning i.e 7.30/8.00 ish and then going onto work at 9.15.
But finally we have some new staff, and I can go back to volunteering on Friday's, and not have to get up early to get things done.
Bit of a conflict about the Climate summit. Issue about how busy we are going to be as active supporters. Which is a bit wierd. We don't wat you to volunteer to do this thing, you have been planning, because we want you to volunteer to do something else we've been planning but aren't going to tell you about.
Hey! if it was going to be easy everyone would do it
The last 3 months have been dead busy at work, it being Christmas and the games industry. Unfortunately the muppets I work for, had lost a key member of staff through what can only be gross stupidity and so I have been stuck working 6 days a week.
So I've been going into the office in the early morning i.e 7.30/8.00 ish and then going onto work at 9.15.
But finally we have some new staff, and I can go back to volunteering on Friday's, and not have to get up early to get things done.
Bit of a conflict about the Climate summit. Issue about how busy we are going to be as active supporters. Which is a bit wierd. We don't wat you to volunteer to do this thing, you have been planning, because we want you to volunteer to do something else we've been planning but aren't going to tell you about.
Hey! if it was going to be easy everyone would do it
Tuesday, 11 January 2005
Media Scrum at the School Run
Transposed from an older blog
Got up early to join the 'Alliance against 4x4's' at a school in Belsize Park. Dressed as old fashioned school teachers and lollipop folk we tried to persuade local mums, that they didn't need a tank to drive little Belinda to school.
Embaressing start as only 4-5 of us, and about 10-12 media people, invluding two film crews. I'm sure at one point I say media people holding placards? but luckily the morning filled out quickly, and I guess there were 25-30 of us all told.
Loads of coverage the next day, whatever your views on car use and 4x4's its a great intro to the transport debate, and there is a huge groundswell of opinion that thinks they're an unessecary pointless burden on soceity.
A poor choice of Vehicle
Could do better
Got up early to join the 'Alliance against 4x4's' at a school in Belsize Park. Dressed as old fashioned school teachers and lollipop folk we tried to persuade local mums, that they didn't need a tank to drive little Belinda to school.
Embaressing start as only 4-5 of us, and about 10-12 media people, invluding two film crews. I'm sure at one point I say media people holding placards? but luckily the morning filled out quickly, and I guess there were 25-30 of us all told.
Loads of coverage the next day, whatever your views on car use and 4x4's its a great intro to the transport debate, and there is a huge groundswell of opinion that thinks they're an unessecary pointless burden on soceity.
A poor choice of Vehicle
Could do better
Saturday, 8 January 2005
Blitzkrieg!
Transposed from an older blog
A Saturday of carefully co-ordinated postering. Too long we have moaned about the lack of advertising of our local groups. So finally we get it together to plan a poster/flyer event in the same way we plan any other activity. 8 folk from round London sticking up posters in local shops, advertsing all the London groups.
In hindsight I wish I hadn't been pushing so hard for the existence of an East London area as part of the Essex network.
A Saturday of carefully co-ordinated postering. Too long we have moaned about the lack of advertising of our local groups. So finally we get it together to plan a poster/flyer event in the same way we plan any other activity. 8 folk from round London sticking up posters in local shops, advertsing all the London groups.
In hindsight I wish I hadn't been pushing so hard for the existence of an East London area as part of the Essex network.
Thursday, 6 January 2005
GM, no Climate, no Oceans, no Climate
Transposed from an older blog
Meeting at Royal Festival Hall to discuss if we're going to get an Oceans Summit/skillshare together, in the face of opposition from the office. Or whether we're going to get a Climate Summit/skillshare together in the face of opposistion from the office.
Meeting at Royal Festival Hall to discuss if we're going to get an Oceans Summit/skillshare together, in the face of opposition from the office. Or whether we're going to get a Climate Summit/skillshare together in the face of opposistion from the office.
Tuesday, 4 January 2005
My last stand as an Area Networker
Transposed from an older blog
South West London meeting, with 15 people, pretty solid at a trendy new venue, Project Orange.
and my last official meeting, as I formally quit as Area Networker for SW London, to move to East London.
To be succeeded by the wonderful Julie, who is better at it than me, and much more organised, so good stuff to come.
South West London meeting, with 15 people, pretty solid at a trendy new venue, Project Orange.
and my last official meeting, as I formally quit as Area Networker for SW London, to move to East London.
To be succeeded by the wonderful Julie, who is better at it than me, and much more organised, so good stuff to come.
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