Community Organisers in Conversation

Antifascism part 2: Beyond Cable Street

This 2-part conversation brings together organisers in Manchester to discuss community organising as anti-fascist strategy.
In this episode, we talk more about what it looks like to fight fascism at the community level. We think about what we can learn from antifascism in East London in the 1930s, and how to build solidarity with people susceptible to racist narratives. We discuss the atomisation of life in Britain, the aftermath of the miners’ strike, the loss of shared spaces, and the need for robust community relationships in fighting far right radicalisation. We talk about the kind of conversations and experiences that can counter racism in communities, and how we can build rather than react, in light of the crises we face.
With Jamil Keating from Greater Manchester Tenants Union, Zara Manoehoetoe from Kids of Colour and Harpurhey Neighbourhood Project, and Dale Johnson from Harpurhey Neighbourhood Project.

Antifascism part 1: I predict a riot

This 2-part conversation brings together organisers in Manchester to discuss community organising as anti-fascist strategy.
In this episode we talk about the right wing riots of last summer, including the mass participation of young people, and the limitations of street counter protest in the fight against fascism. We reflect on the framing of far right narratives around material issues like housing, and the role of the state in the growth of fascist ideology. We discuss the story of England presented by the right, and countered by the real history of the working class population of England; one of exploitation, deportation, and divide and rule, at the hands of the British state.
With Jamil Keating from Greater Manchester Tenants Union, Zara Manoehoetoe from Kids of Colour and Harpurhey Neighbourhood Project, and Dale Johnson from Harpurhey Neighbourhood Project.

Staying alive: Self-organising for survival

How does a community organise itself to survive in the face of state violence and neglect? In this episode we discuss how asylum seekers and refugees are directly creating the things they need to survive.
We talk about how mutual aid builds political power, the significance of self-organisation, and how those most affected by oppression come to lead their own struggles. We discuss the role of art and culture in survival and resistance, the tension between reform and abolition, and what it means to fight through everyday survival for a world without borders.
With Loraine Mponela from Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group, Mariam Yusuf from Women Asylum Seekers Together, and Olivia Namutebi from Women for Refugee Women.

102: Abolish the organiser!

In the 2nd episode of this 2-part conversation, we talk more about the political questions involved in community organising, from sharing power to dealing with conflict and harm. We discuss the role of the organiser, the new wave of British abolitionism, and what it means to have an abolitionist approach.
With Amardeep Dhillon from We Keep Us Safe Lewisham and Lesbians & Support the Migrants; Shiri Shalmy from Cooperation Town; and Mea Aitken from Kids of Colour and the No Police in Schools campaign.

101: Where are the factory gates?

In episode 1 of this 2-part conversation, we discuss what community organising is, and the argument for it as a political approach. We talk about the growing forms of community organising happening in Britain, how people are attempting to politicise everyday life, and the infrastructure we need for a community to exist.
With Amardeep Dhillon from We Keep Us Safe Lewisham and Lesbians & Support the Migrants; Shiri Shalmy from Cooperation Town; and Mea Aitken from Kids of Colour and No Police in Schools.