Transposed from an older blog
Oh bum, still very rough, looks like it wasn't a hangover after all, and I have caught some evil activist specific bug. MI29 at work again, make em all feel like poo, so they can't cause any trouble. Paranoid me, hah, you ain't seen nothin' yet.
Undoubtedly shouldn't have come to work. But on account of being poorly got to scive off downstairs, keeping out of customers ways. Which gave me time to type up briefing/project proposal for Greenpeace thingy that I've been playing with. Must of taken 2-3 hours and I'm still not happy with it. Brain can't be working well.
Monday, 28 February 2005
Sunday, 27 February 2005
Greenpeace Social Lives
Transposed from an older blog
day of feeling very very rough. One of the charms of Greenpeace is you get to meet lots of interesting people, who care about the planet, who are on a similar wavelength, and who are fun to be with. The corrollery is that you spend lots of time down the pub.
I need to become much less sociable, especially when it comes to drinking so much. But I love beer, me and Homer Simpson we're like that. The day after tomorrow and I'm still feeling rough, and I can't afford it on the crappy wages my day job pays.
and must ignore voices that suggest going on to all night drinking places.
But Sunday wasn't a complete washout. I survived a day of work, yippee. Wrote up the East London weekly update, currently masquerading as London (Newham) Greenpeace.
see link below
and I finally found the site I was looking for the other night. Where we were thinking of staging an event, but it's completely unsuitable. Oh well
day of feeling very very rough. One of the charms of Greenpeace is you get to meet lots of interesting people, who care about the planet, who are on a similar wavelength, and who are fun to be with. The corrollery is that you spend lots of time down the pub.
I need to become much less sociable, especially when it comes to drinking so much. But I love beer, me and Homer Simpson we're like that. The day after tomorrow and I'm still feeling rough, and I can't afford it on the crappy wages my day job pays.
and must ignore voices that suggest going on to all night drinking places.
But Sunday wasn't a complete washout. I survived a day of work, yippee. Wrote up the East London weekly update, currently masquerading as London (Newham) Greenpeace.
see link below
and I finally found the site I was looking for the other night. Where we were thinking of staging an event, but it's completely unsuitable. Oh well
Saturday, 26 February 2005
Polling Day for Urban 4x4’s
Transposed from an older blog
Ok big day of campaigning, lots of preparation over last 3 weeks, lots of stress getting all the materials together and here’s how the day went.
Headed into Greenpeace for 9am, to pick up some materials I couldn’t be arsed to take home on Thursday night. All very quiet. So headed up to media dept, to see what’s happening. Apparently Esperanza is doing a direct action at sea, and there is a big public communication event in Cardiff, to build support for the Barry 13, who are on trial for boarding a GM transport ship.
So lots of press releases to get sent out, and one very stressed GP press officer. The network went down Friday night, so he can’t access his contacts list, and so can’t email or fax any press release except by hand. Bum, that has every possibility to screw the day, as GP is kind of focused on getting good media. The twist is noone from IT’s coming in to fix it as the IT Manager quit the day before?
Leave them to it, and head off to London Bridge. Run into friend on bike who’s heading back in to try and get ladders to sort out banner drop at Marylebone. I didn’t know nothing about any banner drop. I thought this was just a day of polite campaigning and talking to the public. Oh well Need to Know and all that.
Tubes royally screwed, predictably so get bus. Drink crap coffee in Upper Crust while waiting for people. Always very nervous when you have no idea how many if any people are going to turn up. Couple of people running late, couple of people get lots, but eventually hordes of people come.
Now the East London Greenpeace network, which is pulling together this team is a very new entity. It’s only met once, and has never done anything, so where did those 22+ people come from. Lots of spamming to people who have expressed an interest through the Greenpeaceactive website. A personal friend I drafted in. Some people from different Greenpeace groups, Surrey/Camden/SW London, a couple of people from local FoE n and a posse of 4-5 students from SOAS. Still very reassuring to have so many people.
Split into two teams one heading down to cover Elephant & Castle. One campaigning around Borough. Pair every one up. One pair by the tube, one by each of Borough markets two entrances. One pair putting posters up in the immediate area. And 4 people heading up to London Bridge to campaign round the station and London Dungeon.
Very very cold, but easy campaign to grab people on. Simply polling people with a very leading question, Do you think Gas Guzzling Vehicles like 4x4’s should pay a higher congestion charge? Yes/No. Easy to get people to vote if you can just get them to stop. High visibility Fluro jackets very helpful. But still you only get 2-3 seconds to get someone’s attention, to convince them you don’t want money and that they are allowed to have an opinion.
Lots of rotating people through coffee shops and pub to keep warm, lots of signatures and polls filled, I think 826 of about 85% supported charging more congestion charge for vehicles that pollute more.
Then split into 3 groups one going to the pub. One going locally for food, one going to Islington for food. Back to the office for more drinks, inspiring videos, chat, music, subliminal brainwashing and to see today’s activity the lead item on LWT and London Tonight? Very cool day, could have been better of course but everything cam together one way or another.
Then off to the pub to get very, very drunk. It’s amazing how many GP activities end up in the pub. Drank way too much beer, discussed philosophy of environmental change from loving people to change to forcing change through law and direct action. The love thing sounds nice, but I think the latter works faster.
More drinking till 2pm at the Kings Head theatre bar, and conversations with US GP people over here about how local groups and local networks compare here in the UK (moderately cool) and Germany (pretty cool) and in the US (virtually non-existent). More conversations to follow by email, until we can pick the best bits of each system. To build a network structure that cannot fail to inspire people to get up and take personal responsibility for making positive environmental change happen.
Ok big day of campaigning, lots of preparation over last 3 weeks, lots of stress getting all the materials together and here’s how the day went.
Headed into Greenpeace for 9am, to pick up some materials I couldn’t be arsed to take home on Thursday night. All very quiet. So headed up to media dept, to see what’s happening. Apparently Esperanza is doing a direct action at sea, and there is a big public communication event in Cardiff, to build support for the Barry 13, who are on trial for boarding a GM transport ship.
So lots of press releases to get sent out, and one very stressed GP press officer. The network went down Friday night, so he can’t access his contacts list, and so can’t email or fax any press release except by hand. Bum, that has every possibility to screw the day, as GP is kind of focused on getting good media. The twist is noone from IT’s coming in to fix it as the IT Manager quit the day before?
Leave them to it, and head off to London Bridge. Run into friend on bike who’s heading back in to try and get ladders to sort out banner drop at Marylebone. I didn’t know nothing about any banner drop. I thought this was just a day of polite campaigning and talking to the public. Oh well Need to Know and all that.
Tubes royally screwed, predictably so get bus. Drink crap coffee in Upper Crust while waiting for people. Always very nervous when you have no idea how many if any people are going to turn up. Couple of people running late, couple of people get lots, but eventually hordes of people come.
Now the East London Greenpeace network, which is pulling together this team is a very new entity. It’s only met once, and has never done anything, so where did those 22+ people come from. Lots of spamming to people who have expressed an interest through the Greenpeaceactive website. A personal friend I drafted in. Some people from different Greenpeace groups, Surrey/Camden/SW London, a couple of people from local FoE n and a posse of 4-5 students from SOAS. Still very reassuring to have so many people.
Split into two teams one heading down to cover Elephant & Castle. One campaigning around Borough. Pair every one up. One pair by the tube, one by each of Borough markets two entrances. One pair putting posters up in the immediate area. And 4 people heading up to London Bridge to campaign round the station and London Dungeon.
Very very cold, but easy campaign to grab people on. Simply polling people with a very leading question, Do you think Gas Guzzling Vehicles like 4x4’s should pay a higher congestion charge? Yes/No. Easy to get people to vote if you can just get them to stop. High visibility Fluro jackets very helpful. But still you only get 2-3 seconds to get someone’s attention, to convince them you don’t want money and that they are allowed to have an opinion.
Lots of rotating people through coffee shops and pub to keep warm, lots of signatures and polls filled, I think 826 of about 85% supported charging more congestion charge for vehicles that pollute more.
Then split into 3 groups one going to the pub. One going locally for food, one going to Islington for food. Back to the office for more drinks, inspiring videos, chat, music, subliminal brainwashing and to see today’s activity the lead item on LWT and London Tonight? Very cool day, could have been better of course but everything cam together one way or another.
Then off to the pub to get very, very drunk. It’s amazing how many GP activities end up in the pub. Drank way too much beer, discussed philosophy of environmental change from loving people to change to forcing change through law and direct action. The love thing sounds nice, but I think the latter works faster.
More drinking till 2pm at the Kings Head theatre bar, and conversations with US GP people over here about how local groups and local networks compare here in the UK (moderately cool) and Germany (pretty cool) and in the US (virtually non-existent). More conversations to follow by email, until we can pick the best bits of each system. To build a network structure that cannot fail to inspire people to get up and take personal responsibility for making positive environmental change happen.
Friday, 25 February 2005
Backwards Blogs, and Friday?
Transposed from an older blog
Now this is the but I don't get about blogs. I did stuff on Friday and Saturday, and so had little time to write about them. By the time I get around to it, on Sunday then its going to appear under the wrong date. Why can't I edit the date the blog entry appears under?
Friday fairly low key day for Greenpeace activity, but of shopping during me lunch break for materials for tommorrows day of camapigning. How would the world hold itself together without cable ties and gaffer tape?
Spent lots of time writing blog entries, and my working day involved plotting and scheming for the next campaigning event. The charm of having a dull boring mellow job, that I'm really good at, is that I can do it on auto pilot. Then I get to spend 5-6 hours a day thinking about GP stuff, while getting paid by a different company.
The evening was a bit screwy, as I decided to go and scout out a site for a campaigning event. Unfortunately I forget to write down where the place was, so after an hours walk, OK I could've got a bus, I then spent a fruitless hour looking for the place. Must try and be more organised in future.
Went home to carefully paste 'Allianca against 4x4's' transport survey over Greenpeace Forest Crime fluro vests for tommorrow. Corporate branding is where it's at, although I'm not sure how the picture desk will view gaffer taped stickers on the back. Oh well
Now this is the but I don't get about blogs. I did stuff on Friday and Saturday, and so had little time to write about them. By the time I get around to it, on Sunday then its going to appear under the wrong date. Why can't I edit the date the blog entry appears under?
Friday fairly low key day for Greenpeace activity, but of shopping during me lunch break for materials for tommorrows day of camapigning. How would the world hold itself together without cable ties and gaffer tape?
Spent lots of time writing blog entries, and my working day involved plotting and scheming for the next campaigning event. The charm of having a dull boring mellow job, that I'm really good at, is that I can do it on auto pilot. Then I get to spend 5-6 hours a day thinking about GP stuff, while getting paid by a different company.
The evening was a bit screwy, as I decided to go and scout out a site for a campaigning event. Unfortunately I forget to write down where the place was, so after an hours walk, OK I could've got a bus, I then spent a fruitless hour looking for the place. Must try and be more organised in future.
Went home to carefully paste 'Allianca against 4x4's' transport survey over Greenpeace Forest Crime fluro vests for tommorrow. Corporate branding is where it's at, although I'm not sure how the picture desk will view gaffer taped stickers on the back. Oh well
Thursday, 24 February 2005
Day in ze office
Transposed from an older blog
Had very late night, so nightmare to wake up early to get to office for 9am. Planned on starting day with meeting with Jason, to sort out what still needed doing for Saturday’s big London wide extravaganza. Unfortunately got in to find out he’d been delayed. So sorted emails and updated London Networks events diary.
10 am, headed off to Campaign Group meeting. I’m on a mission to find out how GP turns ideas into actual campaigning events. I know how we make stuff happen out here in active supporter land, but I think it would be useful to know how the office structures its planning. As it happens I am about to start helping out on a climate project, and so I’d invited myself into the Campaign Group meeting on the back of that. Found J as I headed out of building to meeting venue.
Meeting dull, but useful experience. Lots of updates from different campaigns, look forward to new stuff, with lots of big GP hats there. Followed by communications meeting to sort out messages for new climate project. Back to office to catch up with what needs doing for Saturday. Materials all here and good looking, but posters need mounting, materials need dividing up by team, fluro jackets need stickering, stickers not here yet, no idea where other materials are hidden, need to get clipboards and other details all by 6.30pm or else.
By time been through what needs doing, we’re still waiting on another volunteer to come in. So go out to lunch to chat more, discuss other things coming up, and bits about Greenpeaceactive website. Talk with climate team about meeting tonight between GP and key people from Alliance against 4x4’s. Quick phone around to check it’s all on, then lots of other phone calls to sort out details from ‘quick’ phone around. Sit through second briefing of what needs doing (hmmm) to bring other volunteer up to speed (fair enough) but she wasn’t expecting to get drafted onto this last minute panic that’s now brewing. Help.
Clipboard buying mission to Hanways, they only have ¼ of what we need but it’s a start. Maybe should have sorted this before the last minute. Order more for tomorrow, don’t know how we’re going to distribute them by Saturday?
Finally off to warehouse to talk about practical ways of getting posters mounted fast. R has inspired idea, thanks. Collect together and bag fluoro’s, 12 teams, 10 per team, kind of heavy. Knackered now. I get on as J disappears. Turns out he’s been kidnapped by another meeting, GP business I think, arrrgghh, starting to run out of time here.
More emailing to fill time, till can get hands on petty cash and find materials. Give up waiting and start sorting material, one way or another something has to be ready. Grab J again about getting boards, and cash, track down material buried in climate space, he’s got another problem brewing so leave him to it, go over to H’s to sort stuff. Blagg a board, Jason can buy rest later. Get on with sorting materials.
J back on board 4.30pm, finally got boards from H, kidnap 2nd (Hi R) and soon 3rd volunteer (Thanks G) to get boards cut and posters stapled. No hurry here. Just 70 more boards to go. Get first few done, before meeting with climate about interesting stuff 5.30pm. Feel a bit evil dragging folk into help out, and then deserting them so bribe them with Tea. More frantic board producing. First team leaders start coming in and get drafted, staple here and here, now do it again but much faster. Starting to run from a to b at this point. Not as fit as I used to be. Me not worried at all, everything’s going to be fine.
6.30pm Alliance/GP meeting about more 4x4 stuff, all good but no time so desert meeting half way through. Photocopying of feedback forms and other miscellanea for tonight’s gathering. Back down fluro’s being relabelled not nearly enough time to finish so I guess everyone gets homework.
Finally gathering at 7.30pm. distribution of materials, final talk through, couple of new ideas, lots of briefings and feedback forms in pretty GP briefing packs/folders. Few last minute bits of troubleshooting. All done, day over. Fin
Or not, head off to Hackney for first ever Hackney green drinks. Lots of schmoozing with local tree activists, they like plant trees (cool), lots of Green party people, Agenda 21 bod? Many others, but nasty Weatherspoons pub. Long conversations about both sustainable finance and biodiesal. Lots of GP folk there, which is good, but too much beer, so bit drunk by chucking out time.
Final late night drink in Hackney, bed by 2am up at 7.30am to go to work. Pretty typical volunteer day at Greenpeace with chaos, last minute madness, but everything coming together because it has to.
Had very late night, so nightmare to wake up early to get to office for 9am. Planned on starting day with meeting with Jason, to sort out what still needed doing for Saturday’s big London wide extravaganza. Unfortunately got in to find out he’d been delayed. So sorted emails and updated London Networks events diary.
10 am, headed off to Campaign Group meeting. I’m on a mission to find out how GP turns ideas into actual campaigning events. I know how we make stuff happen out here in active supporter land, but I think it would be useful to know how the office structures its planning. As it happens I am about to start helping out on a climate project, and so I’d invited myself into the Campaign Group meeting on the back of that. Found J as I headed out of building to meeting venue.
Meeting dull, but useful experience. Lots of updates from different campaigns, look forward to new stuff, with lots of big GP hats there. Followed by communications meeting to sort out messages for new climate project. Back to office to catch up with what needs doing for Saturday. Materials all here and good looking, but posters need mounting, materials need dividing up by team, fluro jackets need stickering, stickers not here yet, no idea where other materials are hidden, need to get clipboards and other details all by 6.30pm or else.
By time been through what needs doing, we’re still waiting on another volunteer to come in. So go out to lunch to chat more, discuss other things coming up, and bits about Greenpeaceactive website. Talk with climate team about meeting tonight between GP and key people from Alliance against 4x4’s. Quick phone around to check it’s all on, then lots of other phone calls to sort out details from ‘quick’ phone around. Sit through second briefing of what needs doing (hmmm) to bring other volunteer up to speed (fair enough) but she wasn’t expecting to get drafted onto this last minute panic that’s now brewing. Help.
Clipboard buying mission to Hanways, they only have ¼ of what we need but it’s a start. Maybe should have sorted this before the last minute. Order more for tomorrow, don’t know how we’re going to distribute them by Saturday?
Finally off to warehouse to talk about practical ways of getting posters mounted fast. R has inspired idea, thanks. Collect together and bag fluoro’s, 12 teams, 10 per team, kind of heavy. Knackered now. I get on as J disappears. Turns out he’s been kidnapped by another meeting, GP business I think, arrrgghh, starting to run out of time here.
More emailing to fill time, till can get hands on petty cash and find materials. Give up waiting and start sorting material, one way or another something has to be ready. Grab J again about getting boards, and cash, track down material buried in climate space, he’s got another problem brewing so leave him to it, go over to H’s to sort stuff. Blagg a board, Jason can buy rest later. Get on with sorting materials.
J back on board 4.30pm, finally got boards from H, kidnap 2nd (Hi R) and soon 3rd volunteer (Thanks G) to get boards cut and posters stapled. No hurry here. Just 70 more boards to go. Get first few done, before meeting with climate about interesting stuff 5.30pm. Feel a bit evil dragging folk into help out, and then deserting them so bribe them with Tea. More frantic board producing. First team leaders start coming in and get drafted, staple here and here, now do it again but much faster. Starting to run from a to b at this point. Not as fit as I used to be. Me not worried at all, everything’s going to be fine.
6.30pm Alliance/GP meeting about more 4x4 stuff, all good but no time so desert meeting half way through. Photocopying of feedback forms and other miscellanea for tonight’s gathering. Back down fluro’s being relabelled not nearly enough time to finish so I guess everyone gets homework.
Finally gathering at 7.30pm. distribution of materials, final talk through, couple of new ideas, lots of briefings and feedback forms in pretty GP briefing packs/folders. Few last minute bits of troubleshooting. All done, day over. Fin
Or not, head off to Hackney for first ever Hackney green drinks. Lots of schmoozing with local tree activists, they like plant trees (cool), lots of Green party people, Agenda 21 bod? Many others, but nasty Weatherspoons pub. Long conversations about both sustainable finance and biodiesal. Lots of GP folk there, which is good, but too much beer, so bit drunk by chucking out time.
Final late night drink in Hackney, bed by 2am up at 7.30am to go to work. Pretty typical volunteer day at Greenpeace with chaos, last minute madness, but everything coming together because it has to.
How to Volunteer
Transposed from an older blog
Ok so if I'm going to do this blog thing I better find something suitably dull to write about. So I'm going to tell you about my day yesterday, coz I can't write about today yet as it hasn't really happened.
I volunteer at the Greenpeace office one day a week, usually Friday. This fits in with my job as I work from Sunday to Thursday. But yesterday coz there was some stuff I thought needed doing, and a meeting I wanted to go to, I juggled days off, to go and volunteer on Thursday.
Some notes about volunteering in the office, and how to get involved if you want to.
Lots of people contact GP wanting to volunteer, however a sizable amount of people seem to be after paid employment under the guise of volunteering. Sorry folks that’s not how it works. New volunteers are also a pain for campaigners & staff to manage. Like any new job the first couple of days you work there, you require lots of attention, and the person supervising you ends up spending there constructive working time helping you. Then after the first week you might end up contributing something positive to the job. Well volunteering is just like that, at one day a week, you are a bit useless for the first month, then you start being useful, then you get good at it and then everyone loves you. Hey it’s good to be loved. Many people do not last that first month, and unfortunately waste time.
Because of this ‘hump’ Greenpeace doesn’t use many volunteers. Frankly I think it should use lots more, I think there should be hordes of volunteers seizing any unmanned PC to go make stuff happen. I also think there should be a specific space for volunteers in the office with lots of PC’s close together and phone lines. It might be effective to have two evenings a week where volunteers can come and do stuff. But in any case the offices are too quiet and lots more people would LIVEN THINGS UP.
But when there is a need for a volunteer, usually someone known to GP gets the role. You can write to GP and fill out a form, but the odds are it’s going to end up in the bottom draw of a filing cabinet in HR. I know I’ve seen the files.
So if you do want to volunteer, get involved with your local London network and group. Do lots of campaigning. Go to the office as often as possible. Go down the pub after work with GP people, get drunk, talk office politics. Then figure out what you want to do, find the relevant person who you by now know and ask them if you can help them out.
So yesterday being a typical mish mash and mad panic went like this (next entry)
Ok so if I'm going to do this blog thing I better find something suitably dull to write about. So I'm going to tell you about my day yesterday, coz I can't write about today yet as it hasn't really happened.
I volunteer at the Greenpeace office one day a week, usually Friday. This fits in with my job as I work from Sunday to Thursday. But yesterday coz there was some stuff I thought needed doing, and a meeting I wanted to go to, I juggled days off, to go and volunteer on Thursday.
Some notes about volunteering in the office, and how to get involved if you want to.
Lots of people contact GP wanting to volunteer, however a sizable amount of people seem to be after paid employment under the guise of volunteering. Sorry folks that’s not how it works. New volunteers are also a pain for campaigners & staff to manage. Like any new job the first couple of days you work there, you require lots of attention, and the person supervising you ends up spending there constructive working time helping you. Then after the first week you might end up contributing something positive to the job. Well volunteering is just like that, at one day a week, you are a bit useless for the first month, then you start being useful, then you get good at it and then everyone loves you. Hey it’s good to be loved. Many people do not last that first month, and unfortunately waste time.
Because of this ‘hump’ Greenpeace doesn’t use many volunteers. Frankly I think it should use lots more, I think there should be hordes of volunteers seizing any unmanned PC to go make stuff happen. I also think there should be a specific space for volunteers in the office with lots of PC’s close together and phone lines. It might be effective to have two evenings a week where volunteers can come and do stuff. But in any case the offices are too quiet and lots more people would LIVEN THINGS UP.
But when there is a need for a volunteer, usually someone known to GP gets the role. You can write to GP and fill out a form, but the odds are it’s going to end up in the bottom draw of a filing cabinet in HR. I know I’ve seen the files.
So if you do want to volunteer, get involved with your local London network and group. Do lots of campaigning. Go to the office as often as possible. Go down the pub after work with GP people, get drunk, talk office politics. Then figure out what you want to do, find the relevant person who you by now know and ask them if you can help them out.
So yesterday being a typical mish mash and mad panic went like this (next entry)
Wednesday, 23 February 2005
Why I'm writing this Rubbish
Transposed from an older blog
Ok I'm not convinced by this blog concept, but I have been encouraged to write one so I'll give it a go and see how it works.
Bribery might also work, so anybody who enjoys this rubbish send me cash and beer money.
I think blogs as a whole are dull and egocentric and mine will be no different. I also don't think I'm that much of an interesting person, so why would anyone want to read about me?
I'm also not sure how blogs differ from a diary, except that you can't put so much personal stuff in. Well sod that, if you want to read this then you can put up with all my personal moans and groans too.
Also as a note to people who know me, or who are involved in Greenpeace I'm not really a very nice person. I'm good at faking it, but really I'm a grumpy cynical twisted git. So there! So as a disclaimer this will probably be a very dirty look at Greenpeace, coz its a bit crap sometimes, and if I offend people then I am genuinely sorry.
but despite all my grumbles Greenpeace is a cool organisation to get involved in, you meet fun people, you get to do all sorts of strange things and it works, it really does contribute to making good things happen.
God alone knows how I put stuff in a blog that might get me arrested, but I'll worry about that at a later date?
Ok I'm not convinced by this blog concept, but I have been encouraged to write one so I'll give it a go and see how it works.
Bribery might also work, so anybody who enjoys this rubbish send me cash and beer money.
I think blogs as a whole are dull and egocentric and mine will be no different. I also don't think I'm that much of an interesting person, so why would anyone want to read about me?
I'm also not sure how blogs differ from a diary, except that you can't put so much personal stuff in. Well sod that, if you want to read this then you can put up with all my personal moans and groans too.
Also as a note to people who know me, or who are involved in Greenpeace I'm not really a very nice person. I'm good at faking it, but really I'm a grumpy cynical twisted git. So there! So as a disclaimer this will probably be a very dirty look at Greenpeace, coz its a bit crap sometimes, and if I offend people then I am genuinely sorry.
but despite all my grumbles Greenpeace is a cool organisation to get involved in, you meet fun people, you get to do all sorts of strange things and it works, it really does contribute to making good things happen.
God alone knows how I put stuff in a blog that might get me arrested, but I'll worry about that at a later date?
Monday, 7 February 2005
First Ever Stratford Meeting
Transposed from an older blog
The first ever meeting of a new group is always tense. We're meeting at 7.30 and I have no idea if anyone is coming, but equally if everyone who has expressed an interest does come, then we are going to have even more of a problem.
Everyone involved in the feud is under strict instructions not to mention it. Ther last thing new people need to see is all this internal politics and general bollocks.
In the end a solid 10 people turn up, not too many, not too few. Yippee. Most of the meeting is me talking, which is dull, but I do a whole intro to Greenpeace thing followed by a deconstruction of the Scary Dairy GM Campaign. I went through every point of the campaign from lobbying, letter writing to subvertising, street campaigning to full on non violent direct action.
So a good evening, and of the 10 people there 5 committed themselves to coming out campaigning on the 26th. Good beginnings
The first ever meeting of a new group is always tense. We're meeting at 7.30 and I have no idea if anyone is coming, but equally if everyone who has expressed an interest does come, then we are going to have even more of a problem.
Everyone involved in the feud is under strict instructions not to mention it. Ther last thing new people need to see is all this internal politics and general bollocks.
In the end a solid 10 people turn up, not too many, not too few. Yippee. Most of the meeting is me talking, which is dull, but I do a whole intro to Greenpeace thing followed by a deconstruction of the Scary Dairy GM Campaign. I went through every point of the campaign from lobbying, letter writing to subvertising, street campaigning to full on non violent direct action.
So a good evening, and of the 10 people there 5 committed themselves to coming out campaigning on the 26th. Good beginnings
Saturday, 5 February 2005
Street Campaigning, remind me how?
Transposed from an older blog
Down to Merton Abbey mills to join SW London for the new climate campaign. It's been a long time since I did any street campaigning, I guess I organise more things than I do these days, which is a shame.
Very cool venue, sort of a crafty farmers market, with nice people, but not very many people walking past. Definetly a venue worth revisiting, but a bit of a wash out.
Then pub, a few drinks, and off to the squatted Rampart Centre in East London for the Peace News party. Except I got really lost, but eventually made it for poetry and some cool music. Nice night out a bit distorted from being so tired from the night before.
Down to Merton Abbey mills to join SW London for the new climate campaign. It's been a long time since I did any street campaigning, I guess I organise more things than I do these days, which is a shame.
Very cool venue, sort of a crafty farmers market, with nice people, but not very many people walking past. Definetly a venue worth revisiting, but a bit of a wash out.
Then pub, a few drinks, and off to the squatted Rampart Centre in East London for the Peace News party. Except I got really lost, but eventually made it for poetry and some cool music. Nice night out a bit distorted from being so tired from the night before.
Friday, 4 February 2005
Late Night Drinking
Transposed from an older blog
The first Friday of the month is usually a climb training workshop in the Greenpeace warehouse. Usually it's just a matter of showing people the gear and the ropes, and giving them a basic into.
I've learnt the ropes many times, but try and get along to keep my skills fresh. Not that I ever get to use those skills on an action, but one day (I hope)
But buried under meetings and work to do, to try and get this 4x4 poll on the road. We need to recruit lots of people quick.
So skip climb training, which is a shame as someone has come up with a really cool obstacle course round the warehouse. With things to climb, ropes to traverse accross, a big pully slide to whiz across and some more ropes to traverse onto.
OK sitting in front of a computer may be more productive, but the climbing looked fun.
Down pub with networker from Essex, who by now has arranged the great big stitch up (see later) and then lots and lots of beer till early with a German activist.
From these drunken conversations spins off a whole dialogue in the forums, comparing Greenpeace volunteers networks here, in Germany in Finland and who knows where else?
The first Friday of the month is usually a climb training workshop in the Greenpeace warehouse. Usually it's just a matter of showing people the gear and the ropes, and giving them a basic into.
I've learnt the ropes many times, but try and get along to keep my skills fresh. Not that I ever get to use those skills on an action, but one day (I hope)
But buried under meetings and work to do, to try and get this 4x4 poll on the road. We need to recruit lots of people quick.
So skip climb training, which is a shame as someone has come up with a really cool obstacle course round the warehouse. With things to climb, ropes to traverse accross, a big pully slide to whiz across and some more ropes to traverse onto.
OK sitting in front of a computer may be more productive, but the climbing looked fun.
Down pub with networker from Essex, who by now has arranged the great big stitch up (see later) and then lots and lots of beer till early with a German activist.
From these drunken conversations spins off a whole dialogue in the forums, comparing Greenpeace volunteers networks here, in Germany in Finland and who knows where else?
Thursday, 3 February 2005
They really are out to get me?
Transposed from an older blog
Big Climate Crisis meeting organised by the Campaign against Climate Change, with speakers from George Monbiot to Phil Thornhill.
An excuse for Greenpeace folk, from far and wide to get together, which is a shame as we're still at war.
Meanwhile somewhere else in London, those in power have decided to put there foot down, and to point out that what happens in London is the concern of those who live in London and those employed to sort out this structure.
Quick 5 minutes conversation turns into 3 hour argument about why East London can't be called East London because Havering is in East London.
And about why the office is evil, for not communicating more, and how even though its not my fault, it really is my fault.
and that the world and Greenpeace would be better off if I'd just Sod off and die.
Thanks for that
Big Climate Crisis meeting organised by the Campaign against Climate Change, with speakers from George Monbiot to Phil Thornhill.
An excuse for Greenpeace folk, from far and wide to get together, which is a shame as we're still at war.
Meanwhile somewhere else in London, those in power have decided to put there foot down, and to point out that what happens in London is the concern of those who live in London and those employed to sort out this structure.
Quick 5 minutes conversation turns into 3 hour argument about why East London can't be called East London because Havering is in East London.
And about why the office is evil, for not communicating more, and how even though its not my fault, it really is my fault.
and that the world and Greenpeace would be better off if I'd just Sod off and die.
Thanks for that
Wednesday, 2 February 2005
Briefings about this and about that
Transposed from an older blog
Briefing in Greenpeace office, about something really surreal I'm not going to talk about. OK I'm up for doing just about anything if it helps, but wierd or what.
Then more briefings about the Urban 4x4 day, and the embargo on telling anybody about what's going on is finally lifted.
Then pub (OK you knew that bit)
Briefing in Greenpeace office, about something really surreal I'm not going to talk about. OK I'm up for doing just about anything if it helps, but wierd or what.
Then more briefings about the Urban 4x4 day, and the embargo on telling anybody about what's going on is finally lifted.
Then pub (OK you knew that bit)
Tuesday, 1 February 2005
Cake and Cards
Transposed from an older blog
Snuck along to the SW London meeting, even if I am no longer local. Loads of people. And then very sentimental card and prezzie giving to senile old Area Networker, being shuffled off to East London.
What a nice bunch of people. The best thing about Greenpeace is the people you meet, I'm going to miss them. Not that I'm going to be that far away.
And with a new group, I think it'd be a mistake to try and do too much. Maybe one event a month to start with. Whereas I am a mad fanatic who wants to do 2-3 campaign events or more a month. So I'll undoubtadly be doing more stuff with SW London
Snuck along to the SW London meeting, even if I am no longer local. Loads of people. And then very sentimental card and prezzie giving to senile old Area Networker, being shuffled off to East London.
What a nice bunch of people. The best thing about Greenpeace is the people you meet, I'm going to miss them. Not that I'm going to be that far away.
And with a new group, I think it'd be a mistake to try and do too much. Maybe one event a month to start with. Whereas I am a mad fanatic who wants to do 2-3 campaign events or more a month. So I'll undoubtadly be doing more stuff with SW London
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