Ideas For Change: Conference On The Environment And Women Planned For NUI Galway

galway | anti-capitalism | feature Wednesday January 19, 2005 22:07 by Terry - NUIG Ecology Society room101ucg at yahoo dot co dot uk

It would be fair to say that left libertarian politics has experienced something of a renaissance in Ireland in recent years. However there are many arenas of struggle where its theory and practise is relatively undeveloped. This conference focuses on two such areas: the environment and women.

Ideas for Change is being organised by the NUI Galway Ecology Society. Taking place on Saturday January 29th it will feature discussions, both practical and theoretical, on the environment and popular ecological struggles, and on feminism and the struggle for reproductive rights.

The Sixth Grassroots Gathering was an earlier and more ambitious conference which the Ecology Society was involved in organising. This is our 'end of year report' for 2002/2003.


Environment
Environmental destruction occasioned by the grow or die dynamic of capitalism - a dynamic described as the second contradiction of capital by Ted Benton (founder of the Red-Green Study Group) - has been practically contested by community based campaigns across Ireland since around 1975. See for instance the struggles documented in Robert Allen’s book No Global: The People of Ireland Versus the Multinationals.

These are in some way an example of what the Bad Days Will End! talked about in their critique of the ‘Give Up Activism?’document, which came out of the early days of the anti-globalisation movement in England, when they wrote: "Perhaps, then, the first steps towards a genuine anti-activism would be to turn towards these specific, everyday, ongoing struggles. How are the so-called 'ordinary' workers resisting capitalism at this time? What opportunities are already there in their ongoing struggles? What networks are already being built through their own efforts?"

Around this theme James McBarron, of Cork Grassroots Network/Workers Solidarity Movement (Cork), will be talking about how left-libertarians in Cork relate to the campaigns to free the Old Head of Kinsale, a public amenity transformed into a private golf course, and to prevent an incinerator being built in Ringaskiddy. What have been the different problems and issues arising in these campaigns, what hope do they offer?

While Alan McSimon, of Dublin Grassroots Network/Workers Solidarity Movement (Dublin), will be talking about the lessons learned from the successful movement to keep Ireland nuclear free in the late 70s and early 80s which saw a massive popular mobilisation against the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant in Carnsore, Wexford.

One perennial problem with environmental activism is shallow analyses leading to a practise of half measures and palliatives. This underscores the need for a clear cut and incisive theoretical perspective, which is where Colm Breathnach’s (Dublin Grassroots Network/Irish Socialist Network) talk on ‘Marxism and the Environment’ comes in.

Women
Something which underlines the possibility of social progress is the changing position of women in Irish society. Such change was plain to see in the recently released State papers from 30 years ago, an era in which all reproductive rights were denied and in which women couldn’t do jury service and had to give up State jobs upon marrying.

Rosita Sweetman, author of 'On Our Knees and On Our Backs' and participant in the Irish womens’ liberation movement in the early 70s will be talking about feminism in Ireland in that period.

Niav Keating (Dublin Grassroots Network/Alliance for Choice) will be speaking around the theme: Everything you wanted to know about reproductive rights (but were afraid to ask)! and looking at:

•The history of the pro choice movement in Ireland.
•The law and abortion in Ireland.
•The reasons why activists continue to fight for reproductive rights for Irish women.
•Threats to abortion legislation worldwide.
•The re emergence of backstreet abortions in Ireland.
•Direct action and the pro choice movement.

And Tobie Marven will be seeking to create a space to discuss what feminism means to us, how it can be useful and where to go with feminist theory in a libertarian movement.

This is happening in room AC201 on the concourse, which is the long low building with the two towers, in NUI Galway, on Saturday the 29th of January, starting at 2pm. The environment section runs between 2pm and 4pm, with the women section going on between 5pm and 7pm.