[OccupyComms] TIARA Meeting 9th Sept 6pm

[Mark Barrett]

Dear All

Thanks to Pilgrim Tucker at Unite our first national working group
meeting aimed at fixing our political system (tiara) will take place

next Monday 9th September at 6pm at:

Unite House,
128 Theobald's Road,
Holborn, WC1X 8TN
Map ref http://goo.gl/maps/x1i9L

Proposed outcome is a working group to develop a England / UK -wide
mass movement aimed at fixing the political system, possibly from
within but if necessary independent of the Peoples Assembly Against
Austerity.

In the run up to the meeting I am asking people to share what
strategies people want to propose, discuss and hopefully find some
consensus on, to that end, and suggestions from participants for both
discussion content and activities / structure of meeting are welcome.

We will of course need to have in mind the political topics that
participants (made up of group reps and individuals) are keen to bring
forward into the mix*, but this meeting  will not be about these
agendas, rather it will be focused on finding concrete strategies we
can agree on to take forward our work, even if we don't agree on every
aspect of political reform.

This is based on our shared belief I hope that there is a common,
radical alternative to our existing political economy, and that people
recognise no one group ( or approach to decision making for that
matter) can have the 'silver bullet' to reach it. And that rather what
is needed is a 'building the jig-saw puzzle together' approach, a
belief in a new and democratic politics of the common, and a shared
desire to walk together in a humble manner hopefully approximate to it
(the new, democratic politics) as a practice and also as a means to
the pursuit of  an end - what might be called a new constitutional
settlement.

* FYI Topics  so far identified and which I  hope will be represented
by their proponents (in the above spirit)) at the meeting on Monday
are

the democratisation of international  institutions including europe,
britain, UN, G20 and finance bodies like IMF, Basel etc
an english parliament
a new / written constitution with really democratic local assemblies at heart
transparency and liquid democracy
city reform
dealing with state- corporate power
voting reform, referenda and citizens initiatives
press /  media reform
democratising work and the welfare state
local organising where you live
the question of participatory horizontalism vs democratic centralism

Folks i have no idea if this will work but i am giving it a try
following on from June 22nd as I feel I must. also my family and I are
probably going to be leaving London soon so I thought it important to
get this going before we leave. i hope you can support the meeting

do let me know any suggestions for agenda, structure of meeting, ideas
for taking the campaign forward -  whether you can make it

People can add their ideas and comments here
http://participativeassemblies.wordpress.com/political-content/
where there are also details of the meeting  or simply send me an email or SMS

Best wishes

Mark Barrett
@panworldwide
www.peoplesassemblies.org
0785 439 0408

For background info on TIARA (there is a radical alternative) please
go to http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2013/08/democracy-session-at-the-london-peoples-assembly-against-austerity/