Home | Friday 21st January 2011 | Issue 755
THE NETWORK X-FILES
Network X, one of the first attempts to hold a national gathering for the anti-cuts movement took place last weekend (15th-16th) in Manchester with mixed results. With representatives from student bodies, anarchists, community groups and environmental campaigners, over 300 participants met to from action planning and support networks to tackle the government’s latest below the belt cuts.
Kicking off on Saturday morning, the agenda was soon cast out the window as a separation quickly arose between two groups within the collective. For most of the morning arguments raged between one side wanting to form an organisation that had a particular mission statement and joint purpose, and the other wanting to strengthen national support networks and share skills whilst still acting in their established regional groups.
By the afternoon people split off into smaller working groups on topics such as direct action, media and legal training. While workshops were well received, there was some unrest over the focus of the event. As one attendee said, “There seemed to be an assumption that people were there to learn, which wasn’t true. Most people were there to network.”
On the second day the political debate was reopened and people ended up in small groups discussing questions such as ‘what is capitalism’ and ‘what is feudalism?’ Possibly not the most important thing to talk about after people have just travelled the length of the country precisely because they are anti-capitalist or anti-hierarchical governance.
Despite the problems that are usually associated with any large gathering of its kind, especially one that is in its infancy, positive steps were taken. Three regional groups of the Green and Black Cross were set up: South Coast, North West and London, and lots of training meetings were planned. An FE bulletin for students about the education cuts is in the pipeline, and a national aggregator website for the anti-cuts movement is being set up.
Overall, the fact that there were so many impassioned people in one place had a positive effect of people’s feelings of empowerment and strong networks were forged inspite of the political argy bargy.
One attendee commented; “On an organic level, it was maybe too organised, people were too focused on structured meetings. But I met some amazing people and its great that new Green and Black Cross groups have been set up. Most of the good things from the weekend came about over fags and tea.”
