Category: Uncategorized

Published Date 9/2/13 9:11 PM

Today we had a classic bit of direct action, stop a work truck and lock your self to it which stopped lorry movement for the afternoon. Very affective illustration of what a tiny number of people can do. This will lead to much heaver policing as they will have to escort the trucks out of the site as well as in. Its good that this basic direct action has finely happened, brings a feeling that the camp might move beyond the stale tactic of slowing the trucks down for a 10 min on the way in to site.

One Man Stop from You and I Films

The disruption of the policing and the shaking of the supply chin into the site will lead to costs and disruptions that will actually affect the outcome of the campaign. This needs to happen more if we are to win.

Published Date 8/26/13 9:02 PM

Its been an interesting and educational experience working in the tech tent at the anti-fracking protest camp. 

When I arived, in the first 3 days none of the solar panles were pluged into the batterys, they were just on dispaly. 

I set out to build a working system from the bits there, I managed to beg and borrow the pieces I needed to put together and had a working 12v solar phone charging station by the evening ready to run the next day.

The problem was in the night a drunk person came and ripped it apparent and took away core parts of this. I then spend a very frustrating morning recovering the bits, but it dosent work as the battery had been some how destroyed in the night. This was the end of getting anything working for a few days, the core problem of tech space was obviously social rather than technical.

Soughting through the donated equipment, most of it was broken soon after it arrived due to “enthusiastic” use in late night party’s and events, misswiring blown fuses and then bodged fixes.

Almost all the equipment in the camp tech tent was broken, so to start things off whent home for a few days and then came back bringing my own solar panels and equipment. Here it is on the roof of the tent ready to charge phones.

Day 2 of “new tech tent order” we charged 20 phones, setup and powered a live radio station and made 2 short video reports. Here we are repairing one of the broken solar panels.

We had a priority of charging the legal observers and core camp phones. 

What I learned form this is that tech spaces at camps are chaos and one way to tame this “destructive madness” is to bring in sorted equipment and set-up a working part of the space – this then gives you influence to settle the madness in the rest of the space. If you cant make something work and keep it working you are just one mad voice in the many. And if you dont have your own equipment you can’t keep it working as some one else with equal “voice” and “need’ will pull it apart when you go to sleep or for a cup of tea.

We have a social problem to solve as part of the tecnical building of protest camp tech.

Published Date 8/15/13 4:42 PM

(DRAFT)

40 years of one of the most active and largest non-organisation’s in the world. A modern working example of traditional nomadic life an sustainable example the world can be different.

Its important NOT to get caught up in talk about the big picture of what a Rainbow Gathering is, as its a Rainbow of many colouers, a gathering of the tribes, each brings its own myths, traditions and sadly sometimes “rules”. The man (and it uselessly is a man) dressed in “sacred robes” proclaiming this or that is rainbow, should be acknowledged by a sigh, it’s human to smile and walk away to get a cup of tea, taking the person next to you as well. That’s the rainbow way they have facilitated a rainbow connection 😉

Rainbow is a traditional society.

This is an important statement, because a rainbow gathering only happens if we come together motivated by the myths of Rainbow and enact the traditions of Rainbow. Its a misguide not to do this otherwise its just another festival, not a Rainbow Gathering.

It is “Babylon” energy to ask “how can we do this better”, instead you should ask “how dose the Rainbow do this”. The is a Rainbow humility here, a touching the earth. The gatherings have good working traditions that cover almost every thing that happens at a Gathering. And they are traditions built and tested though time and experience – they are what makes a Rainbow Gathering.

New “ideas/newways” destroy traditional society’s all around the world. In traditional society good change is slow and organic. This new/improved rainbow “Babylon” energy is surging through the European gatherings the last few years. Its is probably a USA issue as well.

An example of this

At the European gathering in Greece (2013) The gathering was “organised” by a group in darkness, it become the empty home of invisible individuals that make things happen. Were the Rainbow way is in the light of visible circles, transparency and foculisers not organisers.

The gathering happened but for some it had a emptiness, an example of the outcome of this was the poisoning of the water supply for the local village by the kitchen builders – many people could see what was happening but darkness surrounding manifesting the kitchen meant nobody could stop this from happening.

The solution to solve this is not by “improvements” but by remembering/honourer the Rainbow spirit manifested in its myths (care for nature and peoples) and its tradition, don’t build gray water pits/compasing near water supply’s.

How to solve this “new/improved/organising – Babylon” energy is to call a circle for kitchen, magic hat, water etc. the “invisible/shadow” individuals will likely not come into this light. This circle will generate ideas, connections and trust. The shadow/invisible individuals will likely come directly to you (the one who called the circle) as an individual (in the shadow’s) – give them feedback and invite them to the next circle. When they come then their role can THEN be passed into the light. The power of circles is lost if not used so a hart song circle on water, wood kitchen etc. Might help to nurture this circle power before trying to fix the shadow workers. And as the gathering is just a big circle the spread of light will brining a grater shine to the whole rainbow.

The myth of care and the tradition of circles and openness sole most problems, have a shiny Rainbow and see you in the kitchen.