Workers Solidarity Movement

Grassroots Gathering
Community struggles - campaign strategies - developing networks
NUI Galway, Friday October 12 - Sunday 14

• Communities against fracking and drilling; movements against austerity; other sessions
• What it is, practical details, grassroots principles, call for volunteers

NEW - FULL TIMETABLE AVAILABLE HERE. (More details of sessions at the end of this post.)

A grassroots gathering is a one-off event run by a local group bringing together people involved in different community campaigns and social movements to learn from each other's experiences, talk about what works and what doesn't, develop networks and make alliances. There have been a dozen of these in different parts of the country over the last eleven years and they have helped support all sorts of different campaigns and movements - resisting Shell in Erris, campaigning against cuts, supporting women's right to choose, challenging neo-liberalism in the EU, creating free space for young people, opposing incinerators, community gardening, protecting natural and national heritage, highlighting US military use of Shannon, challenging racism and more.

This gathering is happening in NUI Galway from the evening of Friday October 12 to the afternoon of Sunday October 14. There will be particular sessions for communities resisting fracking and drilling and for movements against austerity, as well as open sessions on a wide variety of topics - alongside movies, poetry, music, art and social action. Food will be vegan and gluten-free (butter and milk available!) and will cost €15 unwaged / €20 waged for the weekend. The gathering is child-friendly and has a kids' and parents' space as well as childrens' activities but not a creche / childcare (sorry!) Similarly we can help out putting people with spare beds and sofas together with people who need them.

If travel costs would prevent you from attending contact us and we will see if we can arrange a life or otherwise help.

The Gathering isn't about famous speakers or Great Experts telling us how to do things - the idea is to bring together campaigners, people in communities, people organising at the base in unions, experienced activists and people just starting out to share their experiences, discuss what way they think things might go, ask questions of each other, make connections and have a good chance to chat and meet new people and old friends. It's not for profit (and we all get to muck in with washing up, passing the hat and generally helping out), it isn't run by any political party and nobody will try to recruit anyone.

Over the last few years more and more people have seen just how corrupt the system is and how little faith we can have in the people who claim to represent us and "see us right". For this reason the Gatherings aren't for people who want to make a name for themselves, make a career out of other people's activism, get a leg up politically, make money out of campaigning, appear on TV etc. More formally we have the "Grassroots Principles" which say that we want to work together as equals, run things in an open and democratic way and try not to talk down to each other or over each other's heads. Rather than rebuild the old mess we believe in communities being able to decide for themselves, workplaces controlled by the people who actually work in them, a sustainable economy and an end to neoliberal bodies like the IMF and World Bank which have helped to create the crisis. The full principles and more about the Gatherings at http://grassroots.pageabode.com.

If this sounds interesting, please get involved and help us make it happen! We need help now putting up posters, offering beds, and most importantly passing the word around. On the weekend itself there will be plenty to be done to help out. [Download a PDF of the poster]

If you can offer anything please email grassrootsgalway@gmail.com; facebook GrassrootsGathering.

Practical details

Accommodation in Galway
If you havn't managed to arrange accommodation in advance of the gathering you can ask about a limited number of spaces staying with some of the Galway folk at the information & registration desk - places are limited so please come early on Friday!

Otherwise there are a number of links other options bellow:

Hostels @15mins walk from NUIG:
http://barnacles.ie/
http://www.sleepzone.ie/About_Sleepzone_Galway/Default.19.html

B&Bs 4-6 mins walk from NUIG:
http://www.deacysbb.com/tariff.htm
Scholars Rest B&B (no website but have offered reduced €45 double & twin rooms, no breakfast)

Also, if you are a couchsurfer there is a good number of hosts in Galway,
please contact them in advance http://www.couchsurfing.org/.

Food
Food will be vegan and gluten-free (butter and milk available!) and will cost a donation of €15 unwaged / €20 waged for the weekend. Alternatively you can donate €5 per meal.

Travel
If travel costs would stop you from coming please contact us at grassrootsgalway@gmail.com and we will try to help as much as we can by trying to arrange lifts etc.

Parents and kids
The gathering is child-friendly and has a kids' and parents' space as well as children’s activities but not a crèche / childcare (sorry!)

Getting there

The Gathering is happening in Áras na Mac Léinn, right beside the college bar in NUI Galway. See the college map athttp://nuigalway.ie/campus-map/.

Some travel details to Galway:

From Dublin:

http://www.gobus.ie/timetable.php?map=1

http://citylink.ie/index.php/routes-a-timetables/timetables/22

From Cork/Limerick:

http://citylink.ie/index.php/routes-a-timetables/timetables/66

Collective discussion sessions on Saturday
17.30 The G8 is in Britian next year - should we mobilise for the protests
An Irish activist who has been travelling to the counter G8 mobilising meetings in Britain will explain what is known and planned so far as the start of a discussion as to to if and how we shall put together a mobilisation from Ireland.

‘Communities Resisting Fracking’ programme

Friday 12th October
Time	Session	Venue
5pm – 7pm	Set up of visual display which can be added to by everyone throughout weekend Timeline Images, photos, words to show what communities have been doing over the past year to keep Ireland fracking free IDEAS board A space pin up ideas e.g. ideas for future collective actions or events What should we discuss? Suggestions board for possible discussion topics Drawing space for volunteers to make a colourful visual record of discussions during the weekend Note: Please bring along photos, words, ideas from your local campaigns to add to the timeline, or email them to grassrootsgalway@gmail.com	Main hall, Aras Mac Leinn, NUIG
7pm -7.30pm	Light dinner	Main hall
7.30 – 8.30pm	Introduction to Grassroots Gatherings and to the weekend	Main hall
8.30-10.00pm	Evening entertainment including a play reading by Donal O’Kelly	The Cube theatre, NUIG

Saturday 13th October
Time	Session	Venue
10am-10.55am	Introduction to Fracking-Free movement sessions Space for participants to introduce themselves and speak about experiences of their local groups, what they would like to gain from weekend, and confirm the key questions to be discussed in the afternoon. All groups and individuals involved in the movement to keep Ireland fracking free are invited to share their experiences so far. Facilitator: Fergal Scully (Gluaiseacht for Global Justice) will invite groups to introduce themselves and raise key discussion questions.	Workshop space 1, Aras Mac Leinn, NUIG
11.00am – 11.45am	Divide and Conquer: Forum theatre A participatory theatre piece about how a community becomes divided by the actions of a fracking company which manipulates members of the community in order to push it’s own agenda. Facilitators: ALâ, a personal social and community development organization founded in 2004 who mainly use ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ (T.O) methodologies as developmental tools.http://www.ala-ct.ie	The Cube theatre, NUIG
11.45-12.00	Tea break
12.00 – 1pm	Divide and Conquer: Forum theatre (cont.)	The Cube
1-2pm	Lunch	Main hall
2pm-3.30pm	Resisting Fracking - Discussion 1: How can we win? Discussion on the diversity of tactical approaches that exist within the movement to keep Ireland fracking-free and how they interact. How can those of us engaging with state processes together with those of us taking radical approaches maximise our collective strength and ensure that the unconventional shale gas industry is stopped in Ireland? All groups and individuals involved in the movement to keep Ireland	Workshop space 1, Aras Mac Leinn

	fracking-free are invited to share their perspectives. Campaigners from other movements will also invited to offer their experiences of similar dynamics; including Bríd Ní Sheighin, principal of Scoil Náisiúnta Cheathrú Thaidgh near Rossport, Co. Mayo to share experiences of different tactics used to resist Shell’s Corrib gas project. Facilitator: Vicky Donnelly (Galway One World Centre) will host small group and whole group discussions to explore these issues.
3.30pm-3.45pm	Tea break	Main hall
3.45pm – 5.15 pm	Resisting Fracking - Discussion 2: Key questions ‘From local to national’ – How do we make fracking matter to everyone in Ireland? ‘Don’t forget to tell your neighbours’ – How do we build a real grassroots movement of farmers and others who will be most affected? How do we take action to resist the 2nd stage of licensing while gaining and keeping mainstream support? Groups and individuals involved in the movement to keep Ireland fracking free, and activists from other movements to share their experiences. Facilitator: Laurence Cox will host parallel discussion groups, feeding into a whole group discussion. Dr Laurence Cox (NUI Maynooth) has been researching social movements for 20 years and runs a dedicated MA programme for organisers and community educators.	Workshop space 1, Aras Mac Leinn
5.15 – 5.30pm	Tea Break	Main hall
5.30-6.30pm	Collective discussion space for everyone taking part in the Gathering.	Main hall
6.30pm	Dinner	Main hall
7.30pm - Late	Evening entertainment (Political cabaret followed by local bands)	Main hall

Sunday 14th October
Time	Session	Venue
11.00 -11.45am	Reaching the mainstream media - successes of the St. Michael’s Estate campaign. A presentation focussed on reaching the mainstream media by Mimi Doran. Mimi Doran is a communications practitioner and media lecturer with an interest in social justice and has provided strategic planning, communications strategies and media training to a variety of businesses and organisations.	Workshop space 1, Aras Mac Leinn
11.45 – 12.00	Tea break
12.00am- 1.30pm	Media skills sharing workshop A workshop to share experience, identify needs and develop skill networks that campaign groups can draw upon in future to work with and create media. Groups and individuals involved in the movement to keep Ireland fracking free, and campaigners from other movements, are invited to share their experiences of reaching and working with media. Facilitators: Margaret Gillan, William Hederman and Orla Quinn Margaret Gillan has worked with Community Media Network for the past 16 years to support groups in developing their capacity to use media. William Hederman is a journalist and campaigner. Orla Quinn has worked as facilitator of development workshops for Comhlamh, Development Perspectives and Trócaire and as Campaigns Officer with Trócaire, working on issues ranging from Climate Change to country specific issues, e.g. Palestine.	Workshop space 1, Aras Mac Leinn*[Parallel skill- share groups to be added depending on interest: e.g. Facilitation skills, fundraising etc]
1.30 – 2.30pm	Lunch	Main hall
2.30pm -4pm	Collective discussion space for everyone taking part in the Gathering.	Main hall
4.00 -5.00pm	Tea, coffee and close of gathering

Also (specific timetable should be available later this weekend)

Open sessions - These sessions run parallel to the fracking resistance discussions. This programme includes some open slots for spontaneous discussion and workshops during the weekend.

Kids and parents space – A space for parents and kids located one area of the main hall. Some all ages activities - Puppet show and story telling, and juggling workshop - at specific times.

Films – Films will be screened in Áras Uí Cathail cinema space. To propose film screenings email: grassrootsgalway@gmail.com