Wednesday, November 29, 2006

(2) York University's Anarchist Club to start Jan 2007

A second York University student Chris McConnell offers to help start a York U. Anarchist Club.
...the two thread titles below are numbered (1) & (2), telling how CUPE local 3903 ( York University's union for teaching assistants and contract faculty) passed the word around thereby helped start the Anarchist Club. I have a feeling that the new Anarchist Club will find many ways to show gratitude.

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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 6:33 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

Hi John,
sounds good. I like the ideas and the approaches that are being talked about, its developing well I think.
An alternative education structure that can operate in seperation of the University government/capitalist structure would be an excellent weapon for the TA's in the next strike. The AFU structure might do this very well. An effective method of sabotage is to provide an alternate structure.
I remember reading Gramscii about his university set up in the prisons of italy. The degrees they granted were eventually recognized outside of the prison. So many professors were locked up and there was a desperate need to give the prisoners something to do than beat each other up for what little wine they could get in the prison.
Thanks for keeping in touch with me regarding the developments.
Dave

"John Gilbert(2)" wrote:

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 3:47 AM
Subject: Fw: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

Dave,
good news. Got a second nibble from York U's chris mcconnell. My email message to CUPE local 3903, York U's TA union turned out more productive than I expected. I haven't been out to their office for a couple of years. I'll have to give 3903's business agent Fred Ho a call to see if he was responsible for pushing my request. It was probably 3903's Peter Brogan.
... John
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 3:21 AM
Subject: Fw: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

Hey Chris,
You serve soup to the York U TAs ? Freakin fantastic. Save me a bowl of habitant soup. I'm a non-thiest, not Jesus - but I'll join you and wash the TA's feet and annoint their feet with oils. I love the activist projects and responsive cooperation I get from the progressive TAs of CUPE local 3903.
What kind of help do you want to do ? Personally, I get satisfaction growing a movement - passing out leaflets and postering. Whatever turns you on. On leafletting, I wonder if a vanilla or template poster composed to draw Anarchist Club students could be designed and used to start Anarchist Clubs at other universities - anybody know any creative writers ? Have you got any special skills for growing the numbers in the movement ? A year ago I thought I had latched on to a Computer Sc guy but it fell through. I doubt that we'll ever find such a gem - a combo anarchist / webmaster tech wiz with a consuming passion for both. If you ever run into such an animal kidnap him quick.
We can talk on the phone now, exchange bios or meet early or later in January. Call me any time 416-481 5668. Another York U student Kelly Fxxxxxx who wrote to me yesterday (Monday) said early January was his best time to meet. Whatever.
I am on the scene because I've been around Anarchist U for a long time, and looking to promote this kind of opportunity if it came along. I'm suddenly a volunteer for Dave Evans whom I met for the first time three weeks ago November 8 at the monthly meeting of Anarchist Free University (AFU). Dave started the Anarchist Club process (registration phase only) at U of T and will host a few interested people in early January at an evening meeting and because I am free during the day, asked me to meet up with a few anarchist minded U of T students during the day for those who need an afternoon meeting.
I expect new members who join a year from now will want to feel they can set agendas and I guess everything should be on the table to accomodate them. Who knows ? We may even evolve like Sean Fein and the IRA with a political wing and an activist wing (I'm half joking, but that would be another way under "variety of tactics" mode to keep us together when the inexperienced do gooder or infiltrator objects to our being *too militant* and sometimes push us into useless activities like signing petitions when in certain situations a more confrontational direct action approach is warranted). But I think those concerns are way down the road while (in my opinion) we are in the early building stage of recruiting, outreach and networking. But what you want to do - that's really all up to you guys. Dave Evans and I want to do it your way and help you with some of our unique resources or infrastucture. Dave and my work-time is a currency like money. How much would you like to spend ?
Call me while your ideas are fresh.
... John Gilbert - 416-481.5668: pm preferred, web main username godhas4legs - I'm a typically eccentric Aquarian with 3 furry feline four-legged children, married to Margo a case worker for Toronto's welfare dept.

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 5:10 PM
Subject: RE: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

I'll help set up a york u anarchist club. I couldn't do such a thing on my
own, but I can definitely do a good share of helping. I'm not 3903, I'm an
undergrad, tho I do serve soup to TAs for what that's worth :P

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 4:21 PM
Subject: 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

~~~~ Forward to interested parties ~~~~
Hi Peter Brogan,
I have forwarded your relay email which I received from 3903lists re Saturday Palestinian demo, to robinhood@lists.riseup.net. Feel free to register with robinhood, then you could eliminate (me) a middleman and then listserv directly among your recipients to 3903flying squad, Tao, etc., if you so choose. Robinhood members are mostly Ontario anarchists, with some overlapping membership with progressives and groups - OCAP, the chapters of 'Common Front'; and Anarchist Free University.
Speaking for myself, I would welcome friends of York U prof David Noble and friends of Ottawa U prof Michel Chossudovsky to also register for http://robinhood.revolt.org/ and robinhood@lists.riseup.net.
====
Here is an interesting Ontario anarchist networking outreach - a brand new conversation forum: http://roadnetwork.org/forums/phpBB-2.0.21/phpBB2/
====
Please reply if you know any York U person that will help me set up an anarchist Club at York U, as is presently being finalized at U of T.
I look forward to talking to an "Ahmed" in Ottawa about his ideas on the possibility of getting an Anarchist Club going at U of Ottawa.
Keep up the good work,
John Gilbert - main username for posts is godhas4legs
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(1) York University's Anarchist Club to start Jan 2007

Kelly Fxxxxxx offers to help start an Anarchist Club at York University

( Anyone with an email message that has been pasted in below and contains an error can have the text changed by contacting godha4legs@gmail.com )

----- Original Message -----
To: kelly ; David Evans anarU
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:18 AM
Subject: Fw: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

Dave,
I had written most of my message to you below (Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 10:19 PM) before reading the message from you tonight about your being on hold until January. I'll go along with Kelly Fritsch if he wants to do something at York U right now, rather than wait with you when we start the U of T in January.
To me it's: "When your hot your hot."
John
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 8:49 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks
Hi John,
I've been in discussion with likely members. I think the second week in January is good. At the moment the students are heavy into school work. Also I am up to my ears in work. But I think there is good grounds at the university.
I would like to raise the project of fund raising for kids books for low income housing at the university. This might be a good initial drive that could get members and also bring in a broad membership.
People would like to join as soon as we can set up a meeting but its hard to do so at the moment. York sounds as if it will be able to set up a club relatively easily, Toronto should be the same once we can find the time.
Dave
............
Kelly,
Are you near my place at Yonge and Eglinton ? I could meet you any time there in the Yonge - Eglinton Plaza foodcourt which closes at 7:00 pm. I'm out tomorrow night and out of town this weekend from Friday at 5 pm. That leaves any time this week on Wednesday or Thursday or Friday afternoon, or do you also need to wait until January. Being a full time activist I tend to forget the time restraints of others that are working or studying. Phone me 416-4815668 and would you care to send me your phone number ?
John
PS - about your question of getting funding from York U for the Anarchist Club. Should we discuss this:
Two years ago I discovered the following advice while surfing. Although ideological, it seems reasonable:
 [ To help people to know me, I posted it here: http://oat.tao.ca/node/view/259 - includes my pasted in 1970 activist bio / I.D. re MTA:
[exerpt]: ( http://www.rebelion.org/petras/english/ngo170102.htm )
"... To be part of the solution and not part of the problem, progressive NGO's must draw a clear line of distinction between themselves and the millionaire NGO's, like Foster Parent Plan which collects $300 million a year, MISEREOR $214 million a year, World Vision $500 million, CARE with $50 million budgets. These millionaire agencies collaborate with Euro-American imperialism and are funded to undermine social movements via class collaborationist "community" and "family development". Today the foundations of multi-national corporations, the World Bank and the Euro-American empires invest over $7 billion for NGO's to undermine comprehensive public development and anti-systemic movements. Progressive NGO's can only engage in popular struggles to oppose war and resist globalization by rejecting funding from these sources which limit their commitments. All funding from the power structure carries "strings" -- limits in struggles, program, tactics and strategy. To think otherwise is self-delusive. To truly become an independent force, progressive NGO's must go to their roots, and win the allegiance of their people in order to become self-financing and live and work on voluntary donations from the people they purport to service."
====
----- Original Message -----
To: kelly ; David Evans anarU
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 10:19 PM
Subject: Fw: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

Kelly,
good to hear from an independant thinker.
Your question "some funding, or a reading group, or something else" sounds like you have already suggested an important agenda topic for our first meetig
To make it work, my ideas are important only to me, but your ideas are more important to me. I want to help start the project, but the project would be for York students to work out. I can help answer questions in areas of my past experience, but try to wait until asked - if somebody gets stuck I would try to go get what is needed.
I volunteered to help David Evans who has set up the application at U of T for the basic structure Anarchist Club at U of T. He said that there were several Trotsky Clubs, a Maoist Club and other leftist groups. Dave thought that there should be an Anarchist Club and I agreed so wholeheartedly that in the middle of the AnarchistU meeting two weeks ago I almost jumped on Dave and his baby in his babycarriage in my excitement.
That was two weeks ago and I agreed to host Dave's inaugural afternoon meeting for interested persons for The U of T Anarchist Club. Dave who is busy at work during the day, will be hosting for those who want to meet in the evening.
When Dave calls me, maybe you (alone or bring others along) can meet me in the Yonge - Eglinton Plaza foodcourt (subway level) in mid afternnoon. Kelly, maybe you would call me 416-481.5668 to suggest a time and date. Dave is expected to send me a few souls, but it may stretch out another week before he has gathered them and calls me. Maybe it would be better to keep inaugural U of T meetings separate from inaugural York U meetings. On the other hand maybe combining meetings is better. (remember the Nobel Prize winner who mathematically proved that more than seven people at a meeting was not as good as a smaller group). Whatever - this is another topic where I want to do it your way because you own your sweat. and whomever is the one who takes the bull by the horns (the founder) can help oversee, develope the York U Anarchist Club into something big. I'm into growing memberships and networking against EMPIRE.
Kelly, I think that you should talk to Dave Evans, because my short contact with him may have caused me to misunderstand a point or two for his plans. As Dave's volunteer facilitator I am taking instuction from him (just as he and myself wil be trying to take instructions from you). Does this bottom up non-hierarchical anti-structural mode make any sense ?
Om ... peace
John - Username godhas4legs
PS - who do I thank for passing my message to you, or are you a robinhood subscriber already ?
====
----- Original Message -----
From: kelly
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 7:10 PM
Subject: Re: [robinhood] 3903 TAs can talk beyond the campus - outreach for networks

Hey John-

I'm a york student that could help set up a club. do you mean it as a
way to get some funding, or a reading group, or something else
entirely?

-kelly

On 11/27/06, John Gilbert(2) <godhas4legs@allstream.net> wrote:
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~ Forward to interested parties ~~~~~~~~~
> Hi Peter Brogan,
>
> I have forwarded your relay email which I received from 3903lists re
> Saturday Palestinian demo, to robinhood@lists.riseup.net. Feel free to
> register with robinhood, then you could eliminate (me) a middleman and then
> listserv directly among your recipients to 3903flying squad, Tao, etc., if
> you so choose. Robinhood members are mostly Ontario anarchists, with some
> overlapping membership with progressives and groups - OCAP, the chapters
> of 'Common Front'; and Anarchist Free University.
>
> Speaking for myself, I would welcome friends of York U prof David Noble and
> friends of Ottawa U prof Michel Chossudovsky to also register for
> http://robinhood.revolt.org/ and robinhood@lists.riseup.net.
> ====
>
> Here is an interesting Ontario anarchist networking outreach - a brand
> new conversation forum:
> http://roadnetwork.org/forums/phpBB-2.0.21/phpBB2/
> ====
>
> Please reply if you know any York U person that will help me set up an
> anarchist Club at York U, as is presently being finalized at U of T.
> I look forward to talking to an "Ahmed" in Ottawa about his ideas on the
> possibility of getting an Anarchist Club going at U of Ottawa.
>
> Keep up the good work,
> John Gilbert - main username for posts is godhas4legs
>
>
>
> ________________________
>
> Except for Spain, Mother Nature's RIGHT TO LIFE for animals is not enshrined
> in the Constitution for all countries, because of human supremacists'
> psychopathy of speciesism. ...Jg
>
> The media reports anti-semitic slurs from the poor, not the more numerous
> anti-Palestinic slurs from the rich - to stand by locked in racial
> groupthink is to give consent. ...Jg
>
> "Terrorism is the war of the poor; war is the terrorism of the rich" ...the
> great humanist Sir Peter Ustinov
>
> How the US rigs elections for world fascism disguised as democracy -
> http://www.anarchistu.org/twiki/view/Anarchistu/ExtremistUS
>
> The families of suicide bombers weep for as many years as the Viet Nam War
> families of Buddhist monks protested war by pouring gasoline on themselves.
> ...Jg
>
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