Thread

Agenda

object, 08 Sep 2005 00:06:32

We seem to have got off track again regarding the question of Friday's agenda! Here are a few suggestions:

Name
Clear statement of Goal(s)
Broad strategies - petition, exhibition, letter writing - to MPs/newspapers, TV/radio interviews, stories/themes, undermining opponents
Internal structure - strategy group, working parties (legal, PR, intelligence etc), constitution (should we vote for some things, if so what?)
Technical - website, mailing lists, teleconferencing etc
Financial - how are we going to fund this?
External links - who should we link with, who should we avoid?
Any other business

One method I've seen work well instead of just the classic 'townhall meeting' is to break the audience up into small groups (friends & colleagues have to go in different groups!) of 5 or 6 ish. Each group is given a clear question or task (eg. 'choose 5 names for the group which could be put to a vote'). They then have a fixed time - say 30 minutes - to prepare a 2 minute presentation of it's conclusions.

Yes, yes, I know it's all a bit anal, and I enjoy the stimulating free-for-all rambling discussions, but if we don't start to get our shit together, Friday could end up as nothing more than a moan-fest, which achieves little.

Answers on an postcard!

object

clare, 08 Sep 2005 01:20:35

> Answers on an postcard!

Since I can't be there I'm not in much of a position to comment, BUT I would suggest that spending time on a constitution will be a waste of valuable time. Everyone has been really constructive. Bearing in mind how little time there is to get a lot done, there isn't a lot of time for the kind of fighting that constituions are meant to resolve.

After this intial debate period its now time to decide what tasks have to be done and who is going to do them by what deadlines. I hope draft documentation will come back to the forum for comment and suggestions.

May I suggest that the response to the Home Office should be allowed to simmer and mature until close to the deadline.

That way of chosing the name sounds good. My proxy vote goes for Unblinkered or whatever variation on it is necessary.

Hope you all have a great meeting.

Clare

Mage, 08 Sep 2005 07:45:05

> Since I can't be there I'm not in much of a position to comment, BUT I would suggest that spending time on a constitution will be a waste of valuable time.
> Hope you all have a great meeting.
> Clare

Agree with Clare, especially as there appears fairly equal support/resistance to the petition idea on I.C.

If Friday achieves Name, use of petition AND exhibition it should be considered successful. Any other directives will be a bonus.

Ideas on I.C. for female led representation is sound. Therefore any "officers" of this Freedom group should (ideally) all be women. As the intent is to protect our free expression of personal enjoyment, there should not be any resistance to the idea from us Male Doms.

Lothario, 08 Sep 2005 11:29:05

Upon which "ideal" should the officers of this campaign be women? I
thought its purpose was to counter prejudice and ignorance, not to
reinforce the idea that all men are potential rapists, murderers and
abusers and all women are sweetness and light due to their biological
child-bearing function.

Am I missing something here?

demolitionred, 08 Sep 2005 11:34:26

Graham Marsden, 08 Sep 2005 11:37:58

Lothario wrote:
> Upon which "ideal" should the officers of this campaign be women?

I don't think *all* of them should, but certainly we should have women
representatives (and probably one as a spokesperson) to show that there
are women as well as men who object to these proposals.

backdooruk, 08 Sep 2005 11:46:21

Lothario wrote:
> Am I missing something here?

Yes, in a word, tactics. For example the appearance pf prominent women spokespeople refutes accusations that the organisatio is male led and not concerned with women's experience of violence against women.

Sometimes the best points are those you can subliminally make.

- Chris

Graham Marsden, 08 Sep 2005 11:50:27

demolitionred@yahoo.com wrote:

>>Upon which "ideal" should the officers of this campaign be women? I
>
> I'm with you. yes we need some women but not all...

On this, I've just spoken to Zak Jane Kier from Feminists Against
Censorship to check she was aware of this list and the meeting (which
she is).

Unfortunately, like me, it's too short notice for her to be able to get
to it, but apparently someone else from FAC will be there to speak,
which can give a "positive female side" to our presentation.

stripey, 08 Sep 2005 12:49:39

Author wrote:
> I don't think *all* of them should, but certainly we should have women
> representatives (and probably one as a spokesperson) to show that there
> are women as well as men who object to these proposals.

Agreed. This is an issue where the public face of the group does need a strong female presence, but it's a step too far to insist that ALL the leadership has to be female and that ALL the spokespersons are female.

Paul Tavener, 08 Sep 2005 20:40:53

Author wrote:
> Upon which "ideal" should the officers of this campaign be women? I
> thought its purpose was to counter prejudice and ignorance, not to
> reinforce the idea that all men are potential rapists, murderers and
> abusers and all women are sweetness and light due to their biological
> child-bearing function.
> Am I missing something here?

Regardless of the true situation, the public percieve women are the 'victims' in most violent porn. The consultation document itself mentions that most violent porn images are of women. The appearance of women arguing against this law will have an unsettling effect on those who believe women are the victims. Women arguing against a law that bans violent porn will not be recieved as sweetness and light.

Paul Tavener, 08 Sep 2005 23:21:04

Author wrote:
> We seem to have got off track again regarding the question of Friday's agenda! Here are a few suggestions:

Don't forget to get contact details!
Good idea to ask for contributions if any one can spare a few quid - it would be a start.
Might also be an idea to arrange another meeting in a month or so with advanced warning so more people could addend.

E.Vie, 08 Sep 2005 23:27:25

>Good idea to ask for contributions if any one can spare a few quid - it
>would be a start.

I can help with the fund raising.

E.Vie

admin@ofwatch.org.uk wrote:

Author wrote:
> We seem to have got off track again regarding the question of Friday's agenda! Here are a few suggestions:

Don't forget to get contact details!
Good idea to ask for contributions if any one can spare a few quid - it would be a start.
Might also be an idea to arrange another meeting in a month or so with advanced warning so more people could addend.

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Peter Green, 09 Sep 2005 13:01:29

On 9/8/05, E.Vie wrote:

> I can help with the fund raising.

You'll have a whip-round? :-)

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