Following on from last summer’s action camp in Blackpool and a hot autumn of protest and solidarity, this is the first national get-together for the Reclaim the Power network to discuss our summer plans for 2015 and what we, as a national network, can make happen. At the end of the camp in 2014 we agreed to meet in February to discuss whether we wanted to make a camp happen again in the summer of 2015. So, if you can commit to supporting the network, regionally or nationally in 2015, please come to this meeting so we can start planning and scheming together. We will also be hearing from the working group who have been looking at how the RtP network can respond to the UN COP21 Climate Talks in Paris in December 2015. This group will be bringing a proposal to the meeting which can be discussed and agreed. This document and feedback from last years camp will be made available before the gathering. Date: Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th February Location: Manchester Environmental Resource Centre Initiative (MERCi) Bridge 5 Mill, Ancoats, Manchester M4 7HR Map and Directions here. Facebook event here. Times: 12noon – 6pm (Saturday), 10.30am – 4pm (Sunday) Practicalities: Crash space will be available on Saturday night. Please bring a roll matt and sleeping bag. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible. Food will be provided for a voluntary cash donation basis (approximately £2.50 per meal). You can expect to: Meet GREAT people, Plan EXCITING action, Hear INSPIRING news from across the UK Eat LOVELY food ALL welcome. Added info: This is not a national spokes meeting (where representatives from each region meet to talk about RtP strategy and how to work together). This is a national gathering and is open to everybody! Please email info{at}nodashforgas.org.uk for more info.
AGENDA
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Reclaim the Power National Gathering Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th February 2015,
Manchester
DAY ONE – Saturday 7th Feb
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11.30am – Arrival and Tea
12pm: Welcome • Explanation of process / agenda / consensus etc. – 10 mins • What is Reclaim the Power and what are we trying to do – 10 mins • Why we are all here (20 mins) • Getting to know you. Introducing the buddy system and safe spaces policy – 20 mins
1pm: What’s been happening
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• What happened at the end of camp 2014? What decisions were made and what has happened since then.
Specifically, a decision was taken at the end of the Blackpool camp to hold a national gathering in February. It was agreed that this Gathering would ask the question, “Do we have the capacity to put on a Camp in 2015?” not “Should we put on a camp?” The aim of asking the first question is to avoid the long and repeated process (conducted nearly every year since 2005) of whether a camp is a good idea and an exploration of alternatives – which has always led to a decision that a Camp should be held. The decision to frame the Agenda in this was was re-affirmed at a recent Spokes meeting (a meeting of individuals representing different RTP groups around the country). This affects the Agenda below. • Re-cap from regions – Manchester, Leeds, Oxford, Bristol, London, South Coast and other agenda items from the Spokes meeting – 25 mins 1:30pm: LUNCH – 1 hour 2:30pm: Decision about summer camp 2015:
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SESSION AIM: to make a decision about whether we have capacity to do a camp in summer 2015 and/or any other activities 2:30 – 3:30pm: Setting the scene 2:30pm: External Context (35mins) – Proposal document from COP21 Paris working group (including ‘An Anatomy of a Mobilisation) (15 mins)
Other social and economic issues this year. Can we ‘camp’ around these issues effectively? (10mins)
Clarifying questions from the Circle.
3:00pm: Internal Context – Recap on Strategic Objectives agreed in Lewes in March 2014 (See Appendix 1 below) – (10 mins)
Explain what is needed in to put a camp on. (10 mins)
1. How much time do you have to give over the coming months?
2. How much experience do you feel you have in contributing to working groups / making a camp happen. 3:35pm – 4:10pm: Small groups to discuss the above
– Does the Reclaim the Power network have the capacity to do a Camp this year?
– Do we have the capacity to put on a camp this summer?
– Should Reclaim the Power mobilise for large numbers of people (hundreds) to travel to Paris in December 2015?
6pm: Finish formal agenda
6pm – 7pm: Skill shares – People to bring ideas for topics to skillshare (eg. Basecamp / rekkies / social media / media / open space). Please email info@nodashforgas.org.uk if you have ideas, which will be checked by the Gatherings Working Group. 7pm: DINNER 8pm: Entertainment (TBC) 11pm: Power-down
Appendix 1: Strategic Objectives agreed at Lewes Gathering in March 2014
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Over the next twelve months (from March 2014) Reclaim the Power will aim to achieve the following strategic objectives: 1. To have built a mutual support network with groups that challenge corporate power, through shared events, sharing skills and promoting each other’s campaigns.
2. To have effectively undermined corporate power and government policy over energy policy, energy security, fuel poverty and climate change.
3. To link fracking and other extreme energy with climate change.
4. To popularize the idea that addressing climate change requires collective action, not simply individual or government action. 5. To train facilitators, ensure our spaces are safer, creating a multitude of learning opportunities about anti-oppression, and to improve accessibility
6. To become educated as to what movement building is.
7. To make our gatherings and actions will be more reflective of wider society
8. To inspire everyday people to initiate, enjoy and participate in creative non-violent direct action
9. To have created political space for community and publicly owned renewable energy solutions.
10. To have built awareness and support for publicly owned and community controlled energy and demand reduction.
11. To have used positive solutions in our actions and also created a space where people can learn and practice using them In addition to these strategic aims, we will:
12. Incorporate TTIP into what we do and our narrative and reach out to other groups working on this issue to support their work 13. Integrate planning for COP21 into our work over the next twelve months. Clarifying questions and answers: Why are we doing this? – Good process, chance to be involved, first time able to think ahead beyond summer, puts us in a strong position for future decision making How does it feed into actions? We will use it in our next steps to decide the shape of the summer event.
DAY TWO AGENDA – Sunday 8th February
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Please note that Sunday’s workshop will need to be responsive to decisions taken on Saturday, so may need to be changed at short notice. 10am: Re-cap of decisions made on day one 10:30am: Talk through Reclaim the Power’s working groups (introduce a facilitator of each group) COP21 working group Gatherings and Facilitation Working Group Anti-Oppression working group Finance working group Explanation of communications structures and how they can be tightened up. Working groups that will need to exist in order to put on a camp (if that decision is taken): – Infrastructure – Participation (covers Online Comms + Publicity – may need re-naming, as can overlap with Programme) – Programme 11.15am: Opportunity to join new working groups. This is really important, as otherwise, nothing will get done! Split into working group for working group time. Emphasis on sharing and spreading skills amongst new and experienced people. This may be subject to change depending on the outcome of Saturday’s decisions. 1pm: LUNCH 2pm: WORKSHOP: Is the way in which Reclaim the Power set up leading to a centralisation of power and privilege? Also: Space may be required for a further workshop at 3pm. Requests from Regional Groups to host a workshops if they wish.Please email info@nodashforgas.org.uk which is checked by Facilitation and Gatherings group. 3:30pm: Final group circle / reflection & celebration time. 4pm: FINISH