Radical Independence Conference

[weepiper]

Tomorrow. Any other urbs going?

 

[Celyn]

No - am visiting ancient Dad for weekend. I hope it's good.

 

[geminisnake]

Enjoy and report back, too far away for me and I really don't like conferences

 

[The Boy]

here with two others.
if anyone fancies post conference beers or owt.

been an interesting day.tiring though

 

[weepiper]

Really enjoyed that. My favourite bit of the day was hearing the mums from Focus E15 telling us about what they've been doing. Other speakers included the Ritzy Living Wage Campaign and several international speakers from the likes of Syriza, Podemos and Quebec Solidaire as well as the Scottish lot. More than 3000 attendees apparently which is quite impressive given the SNP had Nicola Sturgeon talking to 12,000 at the Hydro (which is right next door) at the same time

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Looks a lot more impressive than the Left Unity conference

What came out of it in terms of going forward?

 

[weepiper]

Looks a lot more impressive than the Left Unity conference

What came out of it in terms of going forward?

There's a fairly good article here outlining the 'what next'.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30151363

 

[weepiper]

That article doesn't say that they're explicitly calling for civil disobedience and direct action to combat fracking and Trident though
edit, actually yes it does, I just hadn't read that far

 

[The Boy]

My favourite bit of the day was hearing the mums from Focus E15 telling us about what they've been doing.

We caught the end of that and they were indeed inspiring. Kinda made me wish we had plumped for that instead of the TTIP session. Also would have liked to have attended the session on feminism, but that clashed with the one on land reform although that was excellent.

 

[weepiper]

We caught the end of that and they were indeed inspiring. Kinda made me wish we had plumped for that instead of the TTIP session. Also would have liked to have attended the session on feminism, but that clashed with the one on land reform although that was excellent.

I got given tickets for some of the workshops by someone that couldn't use them but I ended up just staying in the main hall for the mass forum bits because they were so interesting.

 

[weepiper]

Apologies for the GIGANTIC pics btw, I uploaded them straight off my phone and it clearly doesn't resize them

 

[weepiper]

Other thoughts: there were a lot of female speakers. A LOT. That was really good to see.

 

[redsquirrel]

Was there anything mention of the EU? Obviously the SNP are making quite a bit deal of backing the EU (UK can't leave unless all countries agree etc), I'd hope that the RIC would take a more sensible view. Did the issue come up at all?

 

[The Boy]

Was there anything mention of the EU? Obviously the SNP are making quite a bit deal of backing the EU (UK can't leave unless all countries agree etc), I'd hope that the RIC would take a more sensible view. Did the issue come up at all?

Touched on briefly in the TTIP discussions, though obviously as a side issue of sorts.

 

[redsquirrel]

Ta.

 

[weepiper]

Here is a nice pic from the day

 

[where to]

i was also there. first political event in a long time. things that struck me:

• so many young people, especially young women
• no cranks, no dogs on string, no conspiracy theorists
• so many articulate, intelligient contributions from the floor , again often by young people, esp young women
• where do they all get the confidence???
• professionalism of the event overall - didn't feel like being at a left wing event
• excellently chaired meetings - so many contributions
• twos downsides, one, the 'everything is amazing' tendency, ie positivity, but i'm just a cynical bastart. this stuff can get a bit wishy washy though. e.g. the Bissett peoples vow thing at the end.
• secondly, the outcomes - weren't that clearly articulated, and wasn't clear how they were arrived at.

the energy of the event overall was the most striking thing. this isn't going away soon. the referendum put a generation of young people through a rapid process of politicisation and (unlike most of the left's usual political struggles) they've come out the other end even more energised.

they've got arguments, confidence and passion. interesting times to come.

 

[Frankie Jack]

There's a fair few vids on YouTube

 

[weepiper]

The Swappies' stall was very firmly outside the event rather than inside up on the first floor with all the other invited stallholders

 

[weepiper]

• twos downsides, one, the 'everything is amazing' tendency, ie positivity, but i'm just a cynical bastart. this stuff can get a bit wishy washy though. e.g. the Bissett peoples vow thing at the end.

Yes, there was a bit of that, but then I came home and saw all the foam fingers and glitter cannons from Natfest at the Hydro on twitter and thought actually maybe they were quite restrained

 

[where to]

the contrast between the two events could not have been starker.

 

[Frankie Jack]

It's the 'natfesters' rather than the 'intellectuals' who'll hopefully give the Lab/Tory/Dems a bloody nose in May tho.

 

[weepiper]

It's the 'natfesters' rather than the 'intellectuals' who'll hopefully give the Lab/Tory/Dems a bloody nose in May tho.

I don't consider myself an intellectual and I'll probably vote SNP in May to fuck the Tories and my current Labour MP who voted for the welfare cap.

 

[The Boy]

The Swappies' stall was very firmly outside the event rather than inside up on the first floor with all the other invited stallholders

We were talking about that in the pub after. Probably not a coincidence that we were also talking about the professionalism of the event overall.

Good to see.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Looks and sounds even better. Might have to move.

 

[danny la rouge]

From Yes To Action

http://edinburghanarchists.noflag.o...oint-statement-on-post-referendum-organising/

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

From Yes To Action

http://edinburghanarchists.noflag.o...oint-statement-on-post-referendum-organising/

I'm not even going to read that I doubt they've got any useful advice for RIC

 

[danny la rouge]

You don't want to know whether you were right?

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

You don't want to know whether you were right?

Do you think they were ? I'll take your word for it

 

[danny la rouge]

Do you think they were ? I'll take your word for it

You don't even know what my opinion of the statement is yet. Still, if you don't want to have your own opinion on it, I don't suppose that matters.