Hackney Solidarity Network

Edited report of Hackney Solidarity Network meeting, 26/01/2010, MOTH Club, Valette St 7.30-10.00pm

Attendees; 13 including individuals active with London Coalition against Poverty (LCAP), Hackney Unemployed Workers Group (HWUG), Solidarity Federation, Hackney Independent (HI), Gamesmonitor, Hackney Unison, the Commune, Day-Mer Community Centre, Socialist Party, Youth Fight for Jobs, Corporate Watch, Hackney Not for Sale etc

Apologies; 8 inc. individuals active with HSN, LCAP, HI, HTUC, Housing Enquiry Group and Gamesmonitor

Reportbacks;

HSN
- intro; been active for nearly 2 years now, set up on simple basis of ‘united we stand divided we fail’ and with hundreds of activists in Hackney that ‘there is more of us than them’ and that we need to work together. - meet monthly and also have monthly film discussion night, have people from over 20 local campaigns/groups involved, produce newspaper 3000 first issue, 5000 next and aim for 10k at end of year, - HSN simply bringing people together but clearly only part of jigsaw,
- works by being non sectarian and inclusive and not take it or leave it, Hackney Fightback (2001) and Hackney Unites (2005) tried to be force political agreement where they was none nor any needed and so both broke up in months

LCAP;
- Hackney Unemployed Workers Group meets weekly at Café Bohemia ( bottom of the Narroway) at noon on Thursdays
- Hostel group meets monthly ( contact LCAP)
- Homeless Group ditto

Corporate Watch
- people in Hackney looking at Olympics and many of lines of research
- currently there is a large scale CPO in Hackney Wick being monitored closely

Radical London Network
- trying to network radical community groups across London
- meets monthly in central London

North East London Squatters collective
- recently involved with the Kings Crescent occupation

Socialist Party in Hackney
- meet Café Dem every Wednesday at 7.30 next meeting on Haiti
- been heavily involved with campaign to support Hackney Unison branch chair Brian Debus (see HSN/Heckler) currently waiting for appeal result / had meeting with John Macdonald at Parliament and Lobby of Unison
- pushing Youth Fight for Jobs

Youth Fight for Jobs
- Set up 2009 to fight for work and free education, had 12 miles march through poorest boroughs during G20, has backing from 3 national unions CWU,PCS,RMT. had 1000 on demo 28/11/2009 in London
- organising big meeting, with Day Mer, in Hackney for 19th February probably at Round Chapel
- big demo in Barking on 13th March

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
- recently set up electoral coalition of SP and SWP and others with some union support e.g. Bob Crow and Alexander Gordon, Brian Caton etc., to provide a working class socialist alternative to New Labour
- Probably standing in Hackney

Day Mer
- set up 20 years ago as a community centre for the Turkish and Kurdish refugee community and provides advice and education both on site and in schools, organises Turkish and Kurdish Football League with 350 players mostly young, has different committees, e.g. women’s and youth (currently working with YFJs)
- organise two week festival every year, films shows, meetings, dances with large outdoor event in Clissold Park first week in July
- as youth grow up more british than turkish/kurdish and seing that community is here to stay, becoming more involved in local politics
- produce a English language youth magazine and Turkish language London newspaper

Hackney Unison
- been supporting Brian Debus against witch-hunt (see above)
- note that due to national spending cuts expecting 10% cuts of budget/staff in Hackney
- AGM Feb 3rd

Hackney Not for Sale
- very active in 2001 supporting campaigns against library and nursery closures and came to show support

Gamesmonitor
- website dedicated to ‘debunking Olympic myths’ i.e. the speculators, the corruption and the lie of the legacy. Small web research group but large number on news list
- noted Wind Turbine as classic greenwash and bullshit consultation
- monitoring Vancouver Winter Olympics as a model for Olympics here; dedicated transport lanes taking over cycle lanes, increased surveillance and security, trying to ban demonstrations etc
- noted issue of increased women trafficking for sex work

Hackney Heckler
- 3000 first issue, 5000 this issue should be out early February
- trying to create model where participating groups pay for, provide ‘copy’ for and distribute paper

AOB;
- Hackney Law centre - in financial difficulty and need support
- Gik Der - have meeting on Saturday ‘The Youth are Together’ Saturday Jan 30th
- Workers Advice Project - ( part of Hackney Unites) first meeting Saturday 13th Feb 2-5pm at Day Mer
- Postal Workers – news of negotiations to be released soon
- HTUC - not meeting
- Hackney Green Drinks - meets monthly at the Pembury next Thursday 28th January at 7pm
- Food Not Bombs - now active in Hackney. Get free ‘on the date’ food from shops, cook and give away. check London Indymedia for details
- Meeting at Foundry on 30/31st January re Peoples Assemblies and Election
- Next Reel News night February 14th on Community Organising