Right2 water, Eugene Flynn
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Transcript of Right2 water, Eugene Flynn
Eugene Flynn @eugeneflynn
Distributed organisingfrom community action to
national political movement
Perspectives Our enemies have a global
outlook and we’re fighting in corners
Eugene Flynn @eugeneflynn
ANTI ESTABLISHMENT SHAM
BREXITTRUMP
AND ALL THOSE OTHER F**KERS
VICTORIES EMBOLDENING OTHERS
MARIE LE PEN - FRANCE NORBERT HOFER – AUSTRIA
NEO NAZIS - SLOVENIA
SPAIN Guanyem ('Let's
win…)Rise of Citizen Platforms
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
REFUGEE CRISIS
Part of the huge march in Barcelona. The banner is directed at politicians, it reads "No more excuses, welcome them now"
(Pic: @cupnacional) Source: Socialist Worker
This is what a refugee crisis looks like in Spain.
“NO MORE EXCUSES WELCOME THEM NOW”160,000 people march in Barcelona to demand that the Government welcomes more refugees.
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
SPAIN 2011
21.3% unemployed, highest in Europe
15M - about 8 million people participated
Podemus
Citizen Leaks expose corrupt bankers and politicians
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
BARCELONA EN COMÚ
(Catalan for Barcelona in Common)
Citizen platform
Born from existing political movements like Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) and 15M
A united progressive electoral list to stand at the 2015 municipal elections
Currently running a minority control over Barcelona
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
CITIZEN MANDATE30,000 signatures of support for its initial manifesto
Neighborhood chats across the city
Politicians chosen by the people
Leaders talk about we not me
Can be removed if they become corrupted
Citizen Assemblies
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
DISTRIBUTEDCollectives and movements operate independently
Training provided by collectives in digital mobilization
Mobilize together online
• Social media hacking• Media hacking
Mobilize together offline
• Call to the streets
Expanding to other countries
Working with movements across Europe & USA
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
CURRENTLYAlso set up in a number of other Spanish cities, including Madrid, Malaga, Terrassa, Hospitalet and Seville.
Madrid city wants to invest in social infrastructure
Government has veto on city budgets
Cities joining together to resist the state and take control of their own budgets.
IRELAND
BANK CRISISIRELAND PAYING €9000 EACH
AVERAGE IN EU IS €132
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
AUSTERITY MEASURES
Photo by turgidson
Neoliberal IMF bailout program
• Public Service cuts• Disability cuts • Lone parents cuts• Poorest in society targeted
Tax increases just to pay off bank debt
Privatization agenda
Fracking licences granted
Former Taoiseach consulting with a Canadian firm to buy our state forests
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
IRISH WATER
WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT
Photo by turgidson
Felt they are already paying for water through general taxation
Saw it as privatization masked as conservation
Local - Started in local communities refusing access to meter installers in their neighborhoods
Minimal media coverage with 5,000 people marching in Dublin going virtually unreported in mainstream media
Government introduced a centralized water management service
Introduced water meters amid controversy around the tender process
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
RIGHT2WATERNATIONAL UMBRELLA
THREE PILLARS
• Trade unions• Political parties and representatives• Communities
IMMEDIATE IMPACTAlmost: The campaign launch attracted every national media outlet and only received 1/16th of a column in a regional newspaper.
In a few weeks online & offline mobilisation lead to
70,000 online petition signatures
100,000 people protest in Dublin
AND THEN
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
THE BATTLEWater fairies
Continued biased media reporting
Arrest of key protestors
Continued local and national protests
Government made concessions, but not enough
54 DEGREES @eugeneflynn [email protected]
18
RIGHT2CHANGEExpanding Right2Water into a broader range of issues
HOUSING
JOBS
EDUCATION
DEBT JUSTICE
DEMOCRATIC REFORM
ECONOMICS
EDUCATION
EQUALITY
HEALTH
NATIONAL RESOURCES
WATER
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
RIGHT2CHANGEBroader policy framework
Discussed with community groups
Consensus reached among main pillars
100 candidates in general election
Candidates elected to Parliament
2/3rds of TDs in favour of abolishing water charges
Water Commission set up to decide
Recommend a referendum
ELECTION PLATFORM
NEARLY THERE
NEXT PROTEST DUBLIN APRIL 8TH
JAFAR DESIGNS STUDIO
THANKS FOR LISTENING
@EUGENEFLYNN
Lead with hope rather than fear
Think Big
Own the space where people are frustrated with mainstream politics
Support a distributed network where people focus on their own preferred issues but support each other when needed
Develop strategies to take on corporate media and create your own narrative
Connect movements across country boundaries